i.Pharmacy is migrating to the cloud
i.Pharmacy, a clinical application used across all public hospital pharmacies in NSW, is being migrated to the cloud by eHealth NSW. The statewide digital platform gives clinicians instant access to comprehensive patient dispensing information. The migration will enhance collaboration and access to information, supporting better coordinated patient care. Peter Barclay, Director of Pharmacy at Sydney Children's Hospitals Network (SCHN) shared his top five benefits of the new cloud based i.Pharmacy.
Streamlined access to patient dispensing information
One of the primary benefits of the i.Pharmacy state-based build (SBB) and cloud migration is the easy access to patients’ prescription and dispensing history from across the state, allowing for better-informed decisions about treatment and improved continuity of care.
Efficient management of drug outages and shortages
The i.Pharmacy SBB allows pharmacists to effectively manage drug shortages. With access to stock data, hospital pharmacies can track inventory and usage patterns over time.
“The biggest difference it will make from my point of view is that we are working as the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network rather than individual hospitals. This allows proactive planning to ensure stock is available until supplies return and helps prevent disruptions in patient care and enhances patient safety,” Mr Barclay said.
Enhanced care for complex and non-local patients
i.Pharmacy plays a crucial role in improving care delivery for non-local patients. Through shared care models, patients can receive specialised treatment closer to their homes, eliminating the need for unnecessary travel. Due to its networked ability, the new i.Pharmacy will enable seamless transitions of a patients’ prescription and dispensing history between hospitals across the state, no matter their location.
Improved communication during care transitions
One of the most unique benefits will be for paediatric patients who transition to the adult system or patients who move between local health districts (LHDs).
“It's really important when a young adult is moving from the paediatric service into adult services for anyone who's looking after them to be able to see their dispensing history,” Mr Barclay said.
Thanks to the i.Pharmacy SBB and cloud migration, these patients’ dispensing histories will remain accessible to clinicians. This continuity ensures accurate medication management, and smoother handovers to reduce the risk of adverse events.
Easy access to medication information
The i.Pharmacy SBB offers a more user-friendly interface that allows clinicians to quickly access medication information.
“It’s very quick to look up something. The electronic medical record can be quite complex and has different tabs that reference medication. In i.Pharmacy, you can immediately see all medications prescribed and dispensed,” Mr Barclay said.
This saves valuable time and enables clinicians to make well-informed decisions.
