Best Practice Software

Healthcare Industry

Notification of ePrescribing Update

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Bp Blog Header Image ePrescribing Update

Given the current COVID-19 crisis, on Monday 17 August, the federal government announced, in an ePrescribing update, the expansion of the rollout of ePrescribing to Communities of Interest to support a safer and more convenient supply of medicines for patients.

On Monday 17 August, the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) provided Best Practice Software with an ePrescribing update that included list of postcodes which are within the approved Electronic Prescribing Communities of Interest (COI).

To find out if your Practice is located within a COI, please use the Postcode Validator available on this page. If not, we encourage you to check back over the coming days and weeks, as new postcodes are being added regularly.

A current list of Communities of Interest can be found here, although please note there is a lag in this page being updated. To register your interest in being included as a Community of Interest, please get in touch with the Australian Digital Health Agency.

With that understanding, we have been granted approval from the ADHA to make the Bp Premier Jade SP3 ePrescribing Utility available to Practices in the COI.  ePrescription functionality was included as part of the Jade SP3 release, however, by default, the functionality is turned off.  The Utility, when run, will activate ePrescribing in your Jade SP3 software.

Critical Information:

Communication between Practices and local pharmacies is critical – this will ensure they are ready to dispense an electronic prescription.  If Practices don’t confirm this, it could mean patients will have a delay in accessing their medicines including having to return to their Practice for a paper prescription.

It is critical that both practitioners and patients are aware that not all pharmacies are eScript ready as of today’s date. Practices and practitioners must inform patients which pharmacies in their area are eScript ready. If the patient’s pharmacy of choice is not eScript ready, they should be informed and given the choice of receiving a paper prescription instead.

To assist with this education process, we have developed two posters, one for your practitioners and one for your patients.

Posters with eScript-ready Pharmacies

Each poster has a space for to include the names of local pharmacies that are eScript ready. We recommend posting them in reception areas and at each doctor’s desk, or where doctors are working remotely, emailing a copy to each practitioner.

 

In order to take advantage of our fast tracked ePrescribing functionality, Practices will need to:

 

In addition, the Australian Digital Health Agency has provided access to free eLearning courses at training.digitalhealth.gov.au.

The eLearning courses include three modules:

1.    Introducing electronic prescriptions
2.    Using electronic prescriptions
3.    Preparing for electronic prescriptions

The courses have been accredited by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Royal Australasian College of Physicians and Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine. Practitioners completing the courses can claim CPD/PDP credits/points upon successful completion of each module.

Important information about Jade SP3 Fast Track and Fully Conformant ePrescribing:

The Department of Health (DoH) initiative, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, required us to fast track a simplified version of ePrescribing in order to bring the functionality to market quickly, to safeguard the health of GPs, their staff and patients.  Our Fast Track version of ePrescribing has been delivered in Jade SP3.

We are working with the ADHA and DoH on the Fully Conformant version of ePrescriptions, which will be made available in a future release of our software.

Cost of eScript Messages:

As part of Fast Track ePrescribing, there are two options to send eScripts to patients; SMS and email. There is no charge for email messages, however, during Fast Track ePrescribing, the DoH is covering the cost of eScript SMS messages.

Once Full Conformance is achieved, the DoH will cease funding eScript SMS messages.  Our fully conformant version of ePrescribing, will have three options to send eScripts to Patients; Bp SMS, Best Health App and email.  Bp SMS and Best Health App are part of our Bp Comms functionality.  The cost per message will be:

  • Bp SMS:                     $0.04
  • Best Health App:        $0.03
  • Email:                         no charge

Not a Bp SMS or Best Health App user today?

Closer to the release of our Fully Conformant software version, we will provide Practices with details on how to register for one or both of these services to conform with the details of this ePrescribing update.

Helpful Resources for Your Practice

To communicate the important information about this ePrescribing update, Practices may wish to consider using the internal messaging function available within Bp Premier.  This can be accessed anywhere in the system by opening the ‘Utilities’ menu and selecting ‘Messages’, or by simply clicking the F8 shortcut key. Any messages sent through this platform will display a notification within Bp Premier when the recipient next logs in.

 
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Best Practice Software Community Partnership – Yotkom Medical Centre

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Corporate Citizenship Yotkom Uganda

You can visit the Yotkom Medical Centre website at www.yotkom.com.

Many of our customers, partners and clients that we interact with on a daily basis are aware that Best Practice Software develops, maintains and provides training for a range of Practice Management Solutions and associated services – but many are unaware of our Community Partnership program, which ties in as part of our corporate citizenship activities.

Our Community Partnership program is designed to enable charitable community benefit through our vision of communities connected through medicine.

Today, we shine a light on a particularly special partnership.

Best Practice Software, in co-operation with Dr Andrew Wright, have been involved in a partnership with the Yotkom Medical Centre in Uganda for over 5 years.

Situated in the regional village of Kitgum, Yotkom means ‘health’ in Acholi, a regional language of northern Uganda and South Sudan. First opening its doors in October of 2005, Yotkom Medical Centre was formed as the result of an initiative headed by Australian doctor, Andrew Wright.

“The district we serve has a population of approximately 300,000. People travel long distances to our facility because it has a reputation for excellence.”

The clinic’s primary goal is to improve access to healthcare for locals and provide excellence in primary healthcare to such a resource-poor setting. The centre also focuses on building relationships and self-reliance within the community.

The Yotkom Medical Centre provides a range of services to the community, including an outpatient and emergency department that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is staffed by medical officers with comprehensive training. Approximately 15000 patients per year attend as outpatients. Surgical and orthopaedic procedures are undertaken in the clinic’s two operating theatres. Fifty inpatient beds are available for patients that require care in complicated cases. The centre operates a dental clinic and undertakes dental education and outreach to local schools and businesses.

Of special mention is the centre’s Maternal and Child Health facility. This opened in 2019 and serves to undertake antenatal care and education, as well as the assisting of natural births and the provision of safe caesarean section deliveries where required. Dr Wright points out that the clinic is making a significant impact on reducing child and maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. They are a designated childhood vaccination centre and offer vaccinations for Hepatitis B and rabies. All patient fees are subsidised by donations received in Australia.

The clinic also proudly operates workshops for the community and other health workers, and they retain a compassion fund which is accessed to subsidise life-changing surgery for the clinic’s most disadvantaged patients.

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As part of Best Practice Software’s corporate citizenship involvement, the Yotkom Medical Centre is provided with substantially discounted Bp Premier licences to use throughout the centre. The provision of software helps staff to improve record keeping and assists with the teaching of their junior clinicians. It provides access to the MIMS database and invaluable patient education materials.

The community in Kitgum is very poor and experiences a high rate of unemployment and subsistence living. Subsequently in 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these conditions of extreme poverty. Infectious diseases like Malaria, Tuberculosis and HIV remain common. Yotkom’s ongoing partnership with Best Practice Software through corporate citizenship activities, and the implementation of Bp Premier, helps clinic staff to collate patient information in an orderly fashion and improves the process of following up with patients’ post treatment, which is a significant undertaking, as many medical facilities in Uganda do not maintain any kind of patient record databases.

To provide ongoing support to the Yotkom Medical Centre, doctors, nurses and midwives regularly travel to the facility from Australia to share their skills and expertise. Information technology professionals also contribute their time to manage the centre’s technology platforms and software. Part of the service they provide is to teach the Ugandan clinicians skills in software operation, record keeping and online medical referencing.

Historically, Dr Andrew Wright travels to the clinic and lend his expertise in rural general practice and tropical medicine alongside the clinicians and support staff at Yotkom for six weeks at a time, three times each year. However, during COVID travel restrictions, he has been lending support in weekly ward rounds via video calling platforms. He remains diligent and is constantly seeking to improve opportunities for training, education and supervision for the Ugandan staff at Yotkom.

When speaking about the project work being undertaken at Yotkom in Uganda, and when advocating for the centre here in Australia, Dr Wright often shares how the strategic partnership with Best Practice Software’s corporate citizenship involvement has assisted the clinic with sustainability.

“The medical centre in Kitgum has an Australian flag flying at the entrance, and the entire community is aware of how Australian donors and organisations such as Best Practice Software are making a difference towards health issues in that part of the world.”

Having Best Practice Software work so well in Uganda is a showcase, demonstrating to other medical institutions how the software is beneficial, and might spur them to consider utilising the same platform in their organisations.

While we here at Best Practice Software believe we provide all our customers and clients with a way to improve their day to day Practice function, it is especially rewarding to be able to assist incredibly worthy causes such as this as part of our corporate citizenship involvement. We congratulate Dr Andrew Wright and all the staff working hard to make the Yotkom Medical Centre a success, and we look forward to being part of this incredible endeavour for years to come.

If you are involved with a cause you believe may qualify for Best Practice Software’s Community Partnership program, you can get in touch with us here.

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Pioneering ePrescriptions: Inala Primary Care Weighs In

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ePrescriptions Pioneering Inala Primary Care

It’s no secret that the road to legalising ePrescriptions in Australia has been a rocky one. Even with the federal government’s fast-tracking initiative in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the legislation and roll-out has encountered some hurdles along the way.

Since we released the functionality as part of Jade SP3, we’ve seen several Practices begin using ePrescribing. One such Practice is Inala Primary Care, located 30 minutes south-west of Brisbane’s CBD.

Founded in 2006, Inala Primary Care specialises in caring for patients with complex medical needs, many with a refugee history. The Practice delivers over 50,000 consultations a year to over 4,700 patients, through a large team of doctors, nurses and allied health practitioners. In addition, the Practice trains students and medical registrars, and undertakes research on topics related to their patients and their approach to healthcare. Inala Primary Care generates at least one new service or model of care each year. Focusing on this kind of innovation and quality saw them receive the General Practice of the Year award in May of 2016 through the Australian General Practice accreditation body, AGPAL.

Inala Primary Care converted to Bp Premier in January 2011. CEO, Tracey Johnson said, “the team were ecstatic with the product as it was a vast improvement on the system in use for the first five years the Practice operated. Over our period of use we have built strong relationships with the Bp team as we like to push the system to its limits. The team are always friendly and professional and willing to hear us out. We find their interest in ongoing product development and user feedback refreshing.” 

We spoke to Tracey about their early adoption of ePrescribing, and she provided some valuable feedback on their experience since they began utilising it, just six days after it became legal in Queensland.

“We’ve had 100% adoption amongst our practitioners,” said Tracey.

When we asked Tracey what patients’ initial reactions have been to the rollout of Electronic Prescribing, she told us, “we have had mixed reactions. With no public marketing of the opportunity, it has been up to our team to highlight the e-script potential to patients. Even amongst our older patients, those with familiarity of their phones have been happy to accept e-scripts. The main challenge has been that their preferred pharmacies are not yet enabled, restricting take-up. We have even had opioid prescribing completed and dispensed using eScripts. We had imagined those patients may be more protective of making sure they had a script but this has not been the case. We expect that over time the majority of patients will adopt eScripts. We will continue to cater to those without phones, sharing phones or who prefer paper by continuing with paper scripts.”

Keen to get ePrescriptions up and running in their Practice, Tracey and her team phoned each pharmacy in their local area to see which were eScript ready. The Practice now has a list of pharmacies able to fill eScripts posted in each consulting room and plans to update it as new pharmacies make the transition.

“Sadly, and despite being deemed a ‘Community of Interest’, the day we launched, just two of our 11 most-used pharmacies were ready to accept eScripts. A handful have plans to accept e-scripts by the end of August. Others may take months to be operative. For those pharmacies not up to speed they will see patients choosing dispensing options elsewhere. We have already seen patients so keen to take up e-scripts that they have had the drugs dispensed from a pharmacy they do not ordinarily use,” shares Tracey.

Their local pharmacies have provided the Inala Primary Care team with positive feedback to-date however, noting that once they’re enabled to dispense ePrescriptions they’ve been doing so without fuss, and everything is working smoothly on their end.

When we asked Tracey how her team has been finding the process of issuing eScripts, and how it compares to traditional prescriptions she indicated it was much the same.

“Once you understand the workflow it is very similar to issuing a paper script. With limited training Doctors can all use it easily,” says Tracey.

Besides the obvious and substantial benefits of dispensing ePrescriptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tracey and her team have identified several other scenarios where patients will benefit from the convenience of eScripts also. This includes people living in share and rental housing who may move around a lot, the homeless, patients who commute to remote sites for work, drive trucks or travel often.

“For those caring for elderly family members, they can have the tokens sent to their phones meaning they do not need to attend every appointment or track down scripts but can have the drugs dispensed and drop them around next time they visit. That will make it easier to stay on top of the medications their parents and other loved ones are using. For nursing homes, the process is also far easier,” adds Tracey.

Despite positive feedback such as this, Best Practice Software and other software vendors were asked on 3 August, by the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA), to suspend access to the Utility File that turns on ePrescribing functionality. This position by the ADHA is due to not all pharmacies being eScript enabled. Although eScripts are approved as a legal form of prescription across Australia, we have complied with this request as we work towards a resolution.

On this, Tracey commented, “We believe there is a need for a public information campaign. The wider community is largely unaware that e-scripts are an option. Using doctors to educate patients about eScripts is a poor use of clinical time. With COVID’s second wave, patients need to have confidence that accessing telehealth will deliver access to the medications which may be required. ePrescriptions are the safest way of fulfilling that need because it is a secure system, less errors will result and infection risks are kept in check.”

Similar to the sentiments shared by Inala Primary Care CEO, Tracey Johnson, the team at Best Practice Software is excited by the healthcare advancement that the legalising of ePrescriptions has forged, and the benefit to all Australians, especially during this pandemic.

“It has been terrific working with Tracey and her team at Inala Primary Care. Cooperation and information is the key to rolling out such important new technology. I know the team here at Bp will be working hard to deliver more improvements that not only deliver solutions to practitioners but encourages improved patient outcomes,” said Best Practice Software Director, Lorraine Pyefinch.

The Best Practice Software Executive team is currently lobbying the ADHA, and various involved parties, to try to find a swift resolution to move forward with ePrescribing.

To learn more about the process, view our many helpful ePrescription resources, and please share with your staff, network and on your social channels!

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All Your ePrescribing Resources Available in One Spot

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ePrescribing Resources

The following ePrescribing resources, developed by our Training team, have been created to assist your Practice with rolling out and using ePrescribing.

We highly encourage you to share these ePrescribing resources with all staff members at your Practice.

Introduction to ePrescribing for Practitioners Video

This  video provides an overview of the ePrescribing process, how to prepare your Practice, how to configure the functionality and send eScripts in Bp Premier. Please share on social media, with staff and those in your network.

(8 minutes)

Watch Video

Introduction to ePrescribing for Patients Video

This video provides patients with an overview of what ePrescribing is, how it works and how to fill a prescription using an e-token. Please share this helpful video on your social media channels and with patients.

(6 minutes)

Watch Video

Introduction to ePrescribing for Pharmacies Video

This video provides an overview of the ePrescribing general workflow from the viewpoint of pharmacists. We encourage Practices to share this video with pharmacies in their local area, as well as practitioners.

(4 minutes)

Watch Video

ePrescribing Q & A Podcast Focused on Questions from Our Practices

The content of this 25-minute podcast was developed from Practice questions that were asked at during our Masterclass webinar series. Please share with staff and Doctors in your network.

(25 minutes)

Listen to Podcast

Step-by-Step Documentation in the Knowledge Base

Available to Bp Premier & Best Practice Software customers only.  The Knowledge Base is an online library of step-by-step articles to help you utilise our software’s wealth of features. Please access ePrescribing documentation in Bp Premier by selecting Help > Online from the menu, and go straight to the Knowledge Base for your product version.

Access From Within Bp Premier

Introduction to ePrescribing Masterclass Webinar

Our Training team ran a series of webinars on various days and times, to allow Practices to attend live and ask questions at the end of each session. This is an in-depth view of how ePrescribing works in general and in Bp Premier. Please share this resource with Practice staff.

(54 minutes)

Watch Masterclass

Poster to Inform Patients

Utilise this poster in your reception area to inform patients which pharmacies are eScript ready.

Download Poster

Posters to Inform Practitioners

Utilise this poster at each workspace to remind prescribers which pharmacies are eScript ready.

Download Poster

Getting Started with ePrescribing in Your Practice

Our support team has been inundated by Practices wanting to know what they need to have ready for the ePrescribing rollout. Here’s what you need to know, along with some helpful tips.

Read Article

Avoid Surprises When Upgrading to Bp Premier

We’ve made some great improvements to Bp Premier, however, if you’re upgrading to Saffron from an older version, some of these improvements could impact you in unexpected ways. Learn more here.

Read Article

Electronic Prescriptions Have Landed in Bp Saffron

Electronic prescriptions are now available to all users of Bp Premier with our latest release – read on to find how to enable ePrescribing, and what’s new for ePrescribing in Saffron!

Read Article

Electronic Prescriptions – The Missing Link in Visibility of Patient Information

Bp Software CEO, Dr Frank Pyefinch, and Paul Naismith, CEO at Fred IT, share insightful stats about ePrescriptions and telehealth, and reflect on how these and other factors have impacted patient care during COVID.

Read Article

Is Your Practice Using ePrescriptions?

Boasting convenience, safety of use, and cost-saving advantages, if you’re not already using ePrescriptions, find out why why you should consider the adoption.

Read Article

Australia’s ePrescribing Rollout: Lessons Learned

A little more than a year on from Australia’s accelerated ePrescribing rollout, guest author Tracey Johnson details her experiences with the transition to electronic prescriptions.

Read Article
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Queensland’s First eScript Issued Using Australia Digital Health Agency’s Fast Tracked ePrescibing Solution

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Queensland's first escript hero image
Monday, 27 July 2020

PRESS RELEASE: Best Practice Software Takes Part in QLD’s First Electronic Prescription

Bargara, Queensland – Best Practice Software’s, William Durnford, has today taken part in Queensland’s first Electronic Prescription using ADHA’s fat tracked ePrescribing solution within Bp Premier. After completing a consultation with Grace Family Practice & Skin Care’s Dr. Preshy Varghese and receiving a token on his phone, Mr. Durnford then visited Pharmacist Campbell Gradon of Alliance Pharmacy in Bargara Central Shopping Centre in order to collect what was likely Queensland’s first eScript.

Since being introduced in Queensland on Saturday the 25th of July, patients around the state are now eligible to receive and collect prescriptions from participating Practices and pharmacies. This is especially important for Practices continuing to conduct telehealth consultations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Best Practice Software has now also released the Jade SP3 update for Bp Premier, which contains Electronic Prescribing functionality. Practices using Bp Premier will be able to take advantage of the fast-tracked functionality after satisfying a short list of simple pre-requisites.

For more information on Electronic Prescribing, visit the Australian Government Department of Health’s webpage on Electronic Prescribing.

Watch Queensland’s first eScript being dispensed, and coverage of the event by Bundaberg Now news below.

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Bp Premier Jade SP3 and ePrescribing is now available!

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Bp Premier Jade SP3

The Jade SP3 release for Bp Premier is now available, which includes ePrescription functionality. However, by default, the functionality is turned off.

What’s included in Jade SP3:

  • Fast tracked ePrescribing functionality
  • National Immunisation Program changes as per 1 July 2020
  • COVID-19 related improvements including:
    • Additional fields in History and Examination tool
    • Improved Medicare billing for COVID-19 related items and incentives
    • COVID-19 at-risk Search utility script

Click here to review the Jade SP3 release notes.

As stated above, ePrescribing functionality is turned off by default once Jade SP3 is installed. In order to take advantage of the functionality, you will need to do ensure you’ve completed the following:

  • Register with eRx and ensure that your providers are registered with eRx
  • Download and install Jade SP3
  • Download and install the ePrescribing utility.  Enabling the functionality requires the utility to be downloaded, however, prior to downloading the utility, Practices will be prompted to acknowledge:
    • eScripts are a legal form of prescription in all states except Queensland, where approval is currently pending
    • The Practice has confirmed there are pharmacies near them that are ePrescription compatible, and the patient is aware they must select a participating pharmacy
    • Bp Premier eScripts is currently only compatible with eRx Prescription Exchange Service (PES), therefore, to use Bp Premier eScripts, prescribing Doctor(s) need to be registered with eRx PES. MediSecure PES integration for ePrescriptions will be supported in a future Bp Premier release
    • If an IT team member is installing the software, the Practice Doctors are aware of the above
  • Review our free enablement materials and train your team:

In addition, the Australian Digital Health Agency has provided access to free eLearning courses at training.digitalhealth.gov.au.

The eLearning courses include three modules:

1.    Introducing electronic prescriptions
2.    Using electronic prescriptions
3.    Preparing for electronic prescriptions

The courses have been accredited by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Royal Australasian College of Physicians and Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine. Practitioners completing the courses can claim CPD/PDP credits/points upon successful completion of each module.

Important information about Jade SP3 fast track and fully conformant ePrescribing: 

The Department of Health initiative, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, required us to fast track a simplified version of ePrescribing in order to bring the functionality to market quickly, to safeguard the health of GPs, their staff and patients.  Our Fast Track version of ePrescribing has been delivered in Jade SP3.

The government has set an end date of 30th September for Fast Tracked ePrescribing to cease operating. Software vendors who delivered Fast Tracked have been encouraged to have their Fully Conformant software version of ePrescribing available by this date. Our Fully Conformant version of ePrescribing will be delivered in our Saffron release. When the 30th of September is reached, ePrescribing in Jade SP3 will cease to work. Practices will need to upgrade to Saffron to continue using ePrescribing.

Cost of SMS eScripts:

As part of Fast Track ePrescribing, the government will cover the cost of eScript SMS messages.  Once Full Conformance is achieved, the government will cease funding eScript SMS messages.  Our Saffron release will utilise our Bp Comms functionality to send eScript SMS messages to the patient and the cost per message will be $0.04 per message.

An important note about our Prescription Exchange Services (PES) integration:

Best Practice Software has been working towards ePrescriptions with the two Prescription Exchange Service (PES) vendors, eRx and MediSecure, for close to a year.  It is our expectation that both PES will be supported in due course, each solution requiring scoping, co-design, development by both parties, testing, conformance and certification. It is by no means a small undertaking.

We had to balance the government’s request to deliver the Fast Track ePrescribing solution, high end-user value and our own resource capacity, which meant we needed to focus on a functional solution with one PES before undertaking the second.

Our team made the decision to fast track the PES we were furthest ahead with, which was eRx. Working with the MediSecure PES remains a high priority and we anticipate having the functionality to send ePrescriptions via this platform in a future release.

eScripts are currently only available for use when both Jade SP3 and the utility are installed. This means that you can still install Jade SP3 without the utility and take advantage of the other improvements we have made in this release. It’s important to note that Jade SP3 without ePrescribing enabled does not restrict the Practice from using MediSecure.

A helpful resource for your Practice

To communicate the important information about this change amongst your Practice, you may wish to consider using the internal messaging function available within Bp Premier.  This can be accessed anywhere in the system by opening the ‘Utilities’ menu and selecting ‘Messages’, or by simply clicking the F8 shortcut key. Any messages sent through this platform will display a notification within Bp Premier when the recipient next logs in.

Support is available!

For further information on anything covered above, contact our Software Support team on 1300 40 1111 (in Australia), or 0800 40 1111 (in New Zealand), selecting Bp General Products (Option 1 / 1) at the menu.
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World Asthma Week…During a Pandemic

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World Asthma Day

You’ll likely not even notice the passing of World Asthma Week this year, but if you don’t, you certainly wouldn’t be alone.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, promotion of this year’s event, normally observed between 1-7 September, has been cancelled. Whether you’ve missed the recent changes to asthma management, or are curious as to how COVID-19 affects it, we’ve put together a few helpful links.

Did you know that statistically, 1 in 10 Australians are asthmatic?

While it remains unclear whether asthmatics are at increased risk of contracting COVID-19, we do know that asthma symptoms are worsened by respiratory viruses. The 2019 GINA report states that even patients with few interval symptoms can have severe or fatal exacerbations. As we fight to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic, patients are relying upon informed medical advice now more than ever.

The GINA report is a twice-yearly reviewed strategy document for asthma management based off the best available evidence, and it has been updated annually since 2002. The organisation endeavors to provide educational resources and scientific evidence to advance asthma treatments.

GINA’s two primary goals are to improve symptom control, and to protect patients from the risks of severe flare ups and asthma related deaths. An excellent resource to consider before continuing through this article is the GINA website, and their accompanying podcast.

Considerations for shortages in medications

The Therapeutic Goods Administration recommended back in March that while there are no current national medication shortages, there would be no need to stockpile more than two weeks of Medication in the unlikely event of a patient being quarantined.

Prior shortages in local pharmacies were not caused by an interruption in the supply of medication but in panic buying. While pharmacies have now returned to allowing up to two relievers per purchase, a second wave of COVID-19 cases could cause stockpiling to resume and so limit access to Salbutamol. Monitor the Medication Shortages Information Initiative for updates on any shortages as they present and talk to patients about the risks of stockpiling medication.

Maintain asthma action plans

Maintaining an asthma action plan is critical in helping patients to better identify worsening symptoms and manage their condition. It also provides evidence of taking Salbutamol should they misplace their labeled puffers, and be asked to provide evidence of requiring the medication by a pharmacist. The action plan should contain instructions to continue taking inhaled or oral corticosteroids as usual – but also what to do in the event of an emergency and when to seek medical help. Guided Asthma self-management education and skills training is covered on page 79 of the GINA 2020 full report.

Where possible, avoid Nebulizers in the workplace

Nebulizers have been identified as being able to transmit viral particles up to 1 meter. This could risk transmission to other patients and healthcare workers. The GINA report instead recommends to “deliver short-acting beta2-agonist for acute asthma in adults and children, use a pressurized metered-dose inhaler and space with a mouthpiece or tightly fitting face mask if required“. It also recommends  limiting spacers to a single patient, and encourages families to not share their medical devices (puffers, spacers, masks); more information is available on page 17 of the GINA 2020 full report.

Save the date – 2020 International COPD and Asthma Conference

There will be a two-day collaborative conference with Global Initiative Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) and Global initiative for Asthma (GINA) on November 16 & 17 of this year. The event will be hosted virtually and contain educational material applicable to all healthcare providers. Click here for more information.

The COVID-19 pandemic is particularly worrying for those already living with respiratory conditions. While the risk cannot be totally negated, careful planning, responsible management of medication, remaining up-to-date with the latest health recommendations and, of course, good social distancing practices can minimise the impact that COVID-19 has on those living with asthma.

Authored by:

Emma Sinnott
Support Specialist at Best Practice Software

A note to the reader: This article is light reading on topics you may be interested in and does not substitute for your own independent research. Some links may become out of date, so please check for updates before actioning any advice.

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Time to Take Your Blood Pressure Pills!

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Blood Pressure Medication

Historically, when single dose blood pressure medications were commenced, patients were advised to take them in the morning. This is because blood pressure follows our natural sleep cycle and dips when we are sleeping and rapidly rises in the morning when we get up. It was thought that taking medication in the morning would provide the most benefit as it would reduce that initial increase in the morning.

At the end of 2019, the results of a large study that looked at bedtime dosing of blood pressure medication were published in the European Journal of Cardiology [1]. The study looked at 19,000 patients in Spain in a primary care setting, and it compared the cardiovascular outcomes between those who took their medication at night and those who took it in the morning, with a mean follow up of just over 6 years. The study found a significant improvement in the outcomes of those who took their medication at bedtime with a reduction in the number of heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure in that group.

The study itself was quite comprehensive and had a good follow up period of 6 years. It is important to note that they only included patients in the study if they did not have any history of pre-existing kidney failure, heart failure, retinopathy, abnormal heart rhythms or alcoholism, and they did not include shift workers. They also did not include pregnant patients or those with secondary hypertension. The authors split the groups in half and had one group take all of their medications in the morning, and the second group take all of their medications before bed. 

Patients’ blood pressure control was monitored during their GP visits in addition to doing an annual 48-hour ambulatory blood pressure test. This test involves wearing a blood pressure monitor for 48 hours with BP check every 20 – 30 minutes to get a good picture of the blood pressure fluctuations over a 48 hour period.

The authors found that those taking their medications at night had overall better control of their blood pressure in addition to needing fewer medications to keep to the recommended targets. The study also found that there was a 45% reduction in cardiovascular events such has heart attacks, angina, strokes and heart failure in the group who took their medications at night. Moreover, they did not find any adverse events to occur in that group.

There have been some other smaller studies that have also looked at morning versus bedtime dosing of blood pressuring lowering medications [2], which showed better blood pressure control without any adverse effects of taking blood pressure medications at night. However, there have been a number of small ophthalmological studies that have shown a detrimental effect for those with certain eye conditions if their night-time blood pressure drops too low [3], or if they take their blood pressure medications at night [4].

To date, there have not been any changes to the current Cardiology or Heart Foundation guidelines to routinely recommend changing patients over to bedtime dosing. However, for some patients the benefits would clearly be substantial.

Before changing over to bed-time blood pressure medication dosing, it would be a good idea to discuss with your GP or Cardiologist if this is suitable for you.

Authored by:

Dr. Fabrina Hossain
Clinical Advisor at Best Practice Software

 

References

[1] https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehz754/5602478
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4091949/
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8172267/
[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22424547/

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AutoMed Systems: Embracing Practice Processes of the Future

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Automed Practice Future

AutoMed Systems: What is the Practice of the future?

At a recent webinar conducted in June 2020, 50% of GP-owner attendees indicated that they currently earn less than their subcontractors.

The 5 challenges confronting every Practice Manager today are;

  1. Solvency
  2. Making General Practice the central point of health delivery
  3. The rebate freeze while Practice costs continue to increase by up to 30%
  4. Incursions by pharmacists, health funds and recent popup Telehealth “providers” that remove your patients from comprehensive, quality and continuing healthcare.
  5. The increasing demands for patient education, and involvement in their health care

Is the answer for the GP to work faster, or charge more?

No. The answer is to embrace technology.

The patient journey begins with making a complex, accurate appointment online or via phone, which includes all the necessary resources in the correct sequence with pre-payments where required, and simultaneously being able to provide health information and Practice marketing.

By using integrated caller identification, staff costs can drop by $2 per appointment. Having patients book online, arrive via a concierge and using a comprehensive kiosk will decrease staff requirements by up to 50%, or $120K per annum for a medium sized Practice.

15% of all data is incorrect leading to failed communication, extra staff costs and legal risks.

A kiosk needs to check all demographic data, in multiple languages and be able to process payments efficiently. This eliminates the need for patients to return to the desk to pay for Gap fees, consumables and vaccines, halving staff requirements.

Moving from bulk billing to private billing can be costly with the increase in front desk demands, whereas a billing kiosk can perform the function at no additional cost. Loyalty schemes via the kiosk can increase gross income by up to $80k with just a $10 patient contribution.

AutoMed Systems provides the ability to communicate with patients via a fixed price SMS solution leading to better informed and engaged patients, better utilisation of time and resources, and decreasing DNAs by 90%. One DNA daily adds up to $15k per FTE.

Technology must be flexible, provide access to new services such as Tele/video consultations, eRx, loyalty programmes, vaccination management and include reporting tools to assist with accreditation.

In short, the practice of the future must be flexible, sophisticated, up to date with IT and be completely supported by a reliable and reputable Australian based support team – which is exactly what AutoMed Systems prides themselves on being.

Please contact support@automedsystems.com.au for more information.

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Cataract Surgery Self-Auditing is Here with Index Health!

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Cataract Surgery Image

Consider the following within the context of auditing your Cataract Surgery history. After examining a 63-year-old patient with a cataract, you discuss the option of surgery.

You include an obligatory statistic informing them of risk. You quote a statistic of 1/400 for the possibility of worse vision. Your patient recoils, exclaiming, “that seems a bit high!”

You now doubt yourself, and question your rate – can it really be that high?

You begin to suspect that your patient is questioning our ability as a surgeon. Do one in 400 of your patients really lose two or more lines of BCVA? Do some patients have a greater likelihood of BCVA loss? Can you identify them?

Are you able to provide a patient with a risk which is specific to their presentation? Is it acceptable to provide patients with a general figure, or can you provide them with a figure that relates to your surgery?

Is your complication rate improving?

We live in a era of data analysis – we have apps to track our heart rate, exercise, diet and sleep. We measure, and then we re-measure – with the aim of improving.

As surgeons, we take great pride in our work. But to improve we need to be able to objectively assess our progress. We are not in a competition. But without analysing our results, we cannot improve. Many of us look at audit as an onerous task, sifting through patient files and entering data into a spreadsheet. But it doesn’t need to be this way. Self-auditing can be a seamless part of your professional growth.

Index Health, in partnership with Best Practice Software, now have an integrated cataract surgery self-audit tool for Bp VIP.net.

When using our tool, your results will not be shared, your privacy will be maintained and we adhere to all Australian privacy laws.  Index Health with Best Practice Software can be seamlessly integrated into your Practice, with minimal changes to your workflow.

Start using our Index Health cataract surgery self-audit tool, and begin assessing your progress today.

For more information see the Index Health website or contact Index Health at ben@indexhealth.com.au

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