Community Resources Services (CRS) has developed a software package, called Pharma Doc, whereby general practitioners (GP) and pharmacists will work closely together to provide a quality primary health care service in South Africa.
According to the managing director of CRS, Geoff Kopping, the pharmacist should be the patient`s entering point for treatment of a health problem instead of the GP.
"Research done on the topic, has shown that 75% of prescriptions were for conditions that could have been treated with over-the-counter medicines. It also showed that approximately 16% of the prescriptions had to be modified, because the GP was not aware of the pharmacology involved in the combined medicines. Over 5% of the prescriptions had to be cancelled, because the specific combination of medicines could have killed the patient," says Kopping.
A set of protocols was developed according to the conditions that could have been treated by the pharmacist. These protocols set the stage for Pharma Doc and include the recognition and evaluation of the particular conditions, treatment of the conditions, guidelines of referral to a GP and patient advice.
Pharma Doc makes it possible for the pharmacist to access a patient`s medical history, family history, lifestyle history, dependants` details as well as purchasing details with the click of a button all over the country.
To strengthen the co-operation between GP`s and pharmacists, an alliance was formed between the African Health Synergies Limited (AHS), the South African Association of Community Pharmacists (SAACP) and CRS.
The essence of the agreement is that the GP and pharmacist will work closely together in providing a Pharma Doc "Patient Centred" facility to the patient.
The difference between the Pharma Doc concept and a medical aid, is that the individual has unlimited access to his GP, provided that the patient was first screened at the pharmacy and referred to the GP by a pharmacist.
"The GP can quadruple his patient base without increasing his patient load. Pharma Doc will also ensure a consistent income for GP`s and pharmacists, because they do not have to wait for the medical aids to pay them," explains Kopping.
According to Nigel Soden, the developer of Pharma Doc, they evaluated approximately 55% of the different languages available on the market in order to develop the software. "The software had to be user-friendly and able to change quickly to suit the needs of Pharma Doc as it grows," says Soden.
"We decided to use Clarion as the primary programming tool, because it is easy to use and easily adaptable with its windows interface. As far as data referential integrity is concerned, it allows us to control and maintain data very accurately. Because it is a database management tool, it can integrate into any database," explains Soden.
As an added service, CRS, in conjunction with the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa and the Health Science Academy, developed a training programme that will give pharmacists full clinic status that is needed to fulfil the primary health care needs.
"We have installed help prompts on every screen of Pharma Doc and a full-time help desk will be available at our Head Office," explains Kopping.
Pharma Doc is currently installed at a number of pharmacies for evaluation. In future, the software will be implemented via a national interconnectivity network using a ThinClient infrastructure provided by Ethniks Systems.
"We were steered towards Ethniks Systems because they are one of the most innovative companies in the industry with regards to ThinClient solutions," says Kopping.
Co-operation between CRS and the government is also a possibility. As a part of the government`s primary health care drive, clinics are being developed at very high costs, while every single pharmacy in South Africa has a clinical area. "However, these areas are not always utilised as clinics. In other words, there are approximately 2 500 potential clinics currently available to serve the primary health care needs of the population. By using Pharma Doc within these facilities, there is no need for a new infrastructure," says Kopping.
"Once all the parties are involved, we could have mobile units, linked via satellite, going out into the remotest of areas that do not have access to full-time medical facilities. Pharma Doc can provide these facilities at a more affordable price," concludes Kopping.
Share
Ethniks Systems
Ethniks Systems is a group of independent local companies involved in the design, supply, installation and support of the highest quality computer and networking solutions.
The Group is active throughout Southern Africa but has particular focus on the Northern Province and Gauteng. The business unit servicing the Gauteng Province is however developing at an accelerated pace.
The Group is an accredited at the highest level by the leading manufacturers of hardware and software such as Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft & Novell. These partnerships with the principal suppliers ensure that we can offer our customers professional advice on the trend setting advancements in Information Technology.
The Company`s focus on employee development has resulted in a group of highly skilled, qualified and motivated people who form a valuable resource to our client base. The Ethniks Systems Group of companies currently has a staff complement of 62 people. The Group prides itself in rendering excellent service levels and is capable of guaranteed backup and support 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.