Simpl

It was in April 2009 that the eRx Script Exchange developed by Simpl was launched. Within four months, 99 percent of Australian pharmacies and 90 percent of general practitioners (GPs) and specialists had access to the IT platform providing the scripts.

The results were stunning. For the last 100 years, GPs and specialists have been providing patients with handwritten or printed paper scripts. It was a system fraught with issues of inaccuracy and legibility, says David Freemantle, Australia-based project director for the eRx Script Exchange.

A modern solution for an old problem

"Many doctors have illegible handwriting, which, compounded with unclear abbreviations and dosage indications can result in errors when pharmacists prescribe medication."

Pharmacists were having to spend time tracking down the GP that wrote the script and GPs were spending time responding to the pharmacists.

"Medication dispensing errors are a major healthcare cost in Australia. We wanted a solution that could send prescriptions electronically to reduce errors, improving patient care and safety," says Freemantle.

Not only were transcription errors eliminated, 1.5 million hours a year were saved across the entire pharmacy industry due to the efficiency of the new system.

A prescriber such as a GP prints a paper script containing a unique eRx barcode. Linked to the barcode, the electronic script is encrypted and sent securely to the eRx Script Exchange for storage.

The patient then takes the paper script to a pharmacy of their choice where the pharmacist scans the barcode. The prescription appears within three seconds of scanning the barcode. An added benefit is that prescribers are informed by the system when a script has been filled, providing closer monitoring of patients.

Freemantle says design and development of eRx was a challenge for a number of reasons including complex business requirements, technical diversity, strict privacy and performance requirements, and budget and time constraints.

"These challenges were taken on by Simpl with enormous energy, creativity and focus to ensure a solution was developed that not only meets but significantly exceeds these requirements and expectations.

"eRx chose to engage Simpl due to its renowned technical expertise, in-depth understanding of the health sector, and a project management track record in the delivery of technology solutions." eRx is part of Fred Group IT, which employs about 130 people in Australia.

Partnering with Microsoft

Simpl health sector leader Jodi Mitchell says being able to partner with Microsoft for the project was a key attribute.

"We had to give the Australian market assurance that we could service this platform build from New Zealand. The currency exchange rate also benefited the deal."

Mitchell was initially approached for the project after she spoke at a Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference about Simpl's Health Information Exchange. The IT solutions company is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and had to go through a competitive bid process to be awarded the work.

Simpl are now partnering with eRx for another project in Australia where they would be able to broaden out the use of the electronic prescription platform to cater for other health information sources.

"The platform has other applications such as in labs, radiography and electronic referrals and discharges," says Mitchell.

The same technology is used in some of Simpl's other health projects. In the US in Washington State, it has connected a community health network of immunisation providers.

And in New Zealand it is also being used for electronic Community Prescribing. 

"We are now working on rolling that platform out as a core piece of infrastructure for a whole lot of eHealth requirements," says Mitchell.

Find out more about Simpl.