Table 5 Top suggestions for clinicians when using PharmaNet in conjunction with a medication history
From: Assessing accuracy of an electronic provincial medication repository
Medication | Discrepancy Rate | Suggestions |
|---|---|---|
Artificial tears | 98.44% (63/64) | Be sure to ask about these over the counter medications as they are very rarely found on the Profile. |
Insulin | 88.57% (93/105) | Be sure to confirm the dose. In 30% of Profiles containing Insulin’s the dose being used will differ from that listed on PharmaNet. |
Likewise, the “Current” flag will not appear in 30% of Insulin containing Profiles. | ||
Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen and Acetylsalicylic acid including combinations | 86.07% (624/725) | Be sure to ask about these over the counter medications as they are very rarely found on the Profile. |
Warfarin | 82.46% (94/114) | Expect a dose and/or frequency discrepancy in nearly 60% of PharmaNet Profiles containing Warfarin. |
Codeine & Codeine Combinations, Opiate agonists in general | 78.43% (80/102), 46.09% (159/345) | Do not rely on the presence of the “Current” flag to detect Codeine and Opiate Agonists on the Profile; it is missing in 30% and 20% of cases, respectively. |
Discrepancies in frequency are equally as common. | ||
Vitamins, creams and other supplements | 77.28% (330/427) | Be sure to ask about vitamins and supplements as they are very rarely found on in PharmaNet. |
In the case of compounded creams, it may be necessary to contact the compounding pharmacy in order to deduce the ingredients as they are often not provided in PharmaNet. | ||
Salbutamol & Related Drugs | 68.15% (92/135) | Do not rely on the presence of the “Current” flag to detect Salbutamol and related drugs on the Profile; it is missing in 33% of cases. |
Discrepancies in frequency occur in 17% of cases. |