| Just as all of Maccabi's 3000 physicians are computerized, so are all of the pharmacies that service Maccabi patients (42 Maccabi owned pharmacies and 650 private pharmacies). The pharmacies are linked to the Maccabi Central Computer by satellite which provides them with a link to both the patient data base as well as the computerized drug utilization review program which is programmed to identify contraindications, potential drug interactions as well as dosage errors. The physician initiates an electronic prescription from his computer. As of last year, this is a generic prescription using the generic name of the drug unless the physician overrides and specifies a specific brand name. This enables the pharmacy to dispense the Maccabi preferred drug, which changes from time to time in accordance with qualitative as well as economic factors.
At the point of generation of the prescription by the physician, the system accesses the patient's total drug history and alerts the physician to possible contraindications or interactions due to other drugs the patient is taking (whether prescribed by him or any other physician). The prescription is entered into the system and may be accessed by any affiliated pharmacy. Prior to filling the prescription, the drug utilization system is again activated at the pharmacy level, providing another opportunity to assess any possible contraindications before actually dispensing the drug. This system also allows for on line claims adjudication between Maccabi and the pharmacy which makes the pharmacy billing system accurate and efficient. In terms of scope, it is important to remember that this is a system which dispenses 1.6 million drugs per month.
The newest innovation in the pharmacy system is the extension of the electronic prescription that enables the patient, once the electronic prescription is in the system, to order his drugs online at the pharmacy of his choice. Thus, when he arrives at the pharmacy to pick up his medication, it is already packaged and waiting for him. |