PrescribeIT now available in Ont. and NB

TORONTO – Canada Health Infoway and Loblaw Companies Limited have announced that Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaw pharmacy locations in Ontario and New Brunswick are now enabled with PrescribeIT^®, Infoway’s national e-prescribing service. PrescribeIT^® enables prescribers to send prescriptions and renewals electronically to a patient’s pharmacy of choice, resulting in more efficient patient care, enhanced safety and improved communication between clinicians.

PrescribeIT’s e-prescribing capabilities are now included in Loblaw’s HealthWATCH^® upgrade. As part of the rollout’s first phase, pharmacies will be able to receive new e-prescriptions and e-renewal requests from prescribers with full functionality rolling out over the coming months.

“We are pleased that PrescribeIT^® will be available in more than 800 Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaw locations in Ontario and more than 50 (locations) in New Brunswick,” said Ashesh Desai (pictured), executive vice president, pharmacy and healthcare businesses at Shoppers Drug Mart. “Expanding the service benefits patients, health providers and the health systems.”

“This is a significant milestone in our efforts to advance e-prescribing,” said Michael Green, president and CEO of Infoway. “It will help to make prescribing medications easier, improve the efficiency of clinician workflows and reduce the amount of paper generated with faxed prescriptions. It’s also a great fit for prescribers who are offering virtual care to their patients.”

Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaw locations currently enabled with PrescribeIT^® can be found on the interactive locator map at PrescribeIT.ca.

About Canada Health Infoway
At Canada Health Infoway we believe a more connected and collaborative system is a healthier system, and we work with governments, healthcare organizations, clinicians and patients to make healthcare more digital. We’re working to ensure that everyone is able to access their personal health information, book appointments, get prescriptions, view lab test results and access other health services, online. We’re working with our partners to transform the health system because we know that digital in health can be as transformative as digital has been in other aspects of our lives. We’re an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government. Visit us online at www.infoway-inforoute.ca.

About PrescribeIT^®
Canada Health Infoway is working with Health Canada, the provinces and territories, and industry stakeholders to develop, operate and maintain the national e-prescribing service known as PrescribeIT^®. PrescribeIT^® will serve all Canadians, pharmacies and prescribers and provide safer and more effective medication management by enabling prescribers to transmit a prescription electronically between a prescriber’s electronic medical record (EMR) and the pharmacy management system (PMS) of a patient’s pharmacy of choice. PrescribeIT^® will protect Canadians’ personal health information from being sold or used for commercial activities. Visit www.PrescribeIT.ca.

About Loblaw Companies Limited
Loblaw is Canada’s food and pharmacy leader, and the nation’s largest retailer. Loblaw provides Canadians with grocery, pharmacy, health and beauty, apparel, general merchandise, financial services and wireless mobile products and services. With more than 2,400 corporate franchised and Associate-owned locations, Loblaw, its franchisees and associate-owners employ approximately 200,000 full- and part-time employees, making it one of Canada’s largest private sector employers. For more information, visit www.loblaw.ca.