Professionals responsible for medical accuracy

 
Professionals responsible for prescription accuracy

Suggestions that a computer generated prescription may have contributed to the death of a Nelson woman are strongly refuted by the leading practice management system software distributor in New Zealand.

Medtech Global says computer software suppliers are responsible for providing doctors a prescription writing tool that is as accurate and efficient as possible. But any doctor who signs a prescription and the pharmacist who dispenses the medication on that prescription must be responsible for making sure the patient receives the correct medication and dosage.

Vino Ramayah, Executive Chairman of Medtech Global, says computers cannot replace human judgment. Both the Medical Association and Medsafe have reiterated it is crucial that doctors and pharmacists should check prescription information. Medsafe recently said pharmacists have ‘a professional and ethical responsibility to accurately identify the medicine prescribed’.

MedTech Global is focused on patient safety, Mr Ramayah says, even more so as New Zealand moves to an era where patients will be able to access their own medical records online and work interactively with their health professionals.

“Safety is core to our software development and as integral as privacy to the use of computer software in managing people’s health,” Mr Ramayah says. “But at the end of the day patient safety comes back to human judgment and responsibility.”

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