quebec will keep ‘axe the fax’ prescription platform that was cancelled by ottawa

after ottawa recently pulled the plug on the service, quebec is moving forward with a digital program modernizing how prescriptions are sent and received, but the sums involved in the agreement are not being publicly disclosed.santé québec announced on july 17 that prescription québec — known as prescribeit elsewhere in canada — will continue after a deal was struck with canada health infoway, a non-profit that is federally funded.the agreement was lauded by both the province and infoway, with the company’s interim president and ceo saying the organization was proud to support quebec’s continuation in the project. the head of santé québec said it “allows us to ensure the continuity of electronic prescriptions in settings already using the system, while continuing the rollout of prescription québec.”“this is an important step in the modernization of the health and social services sector, for the benefit of the public and healthcare workers,” geneviève biron said in a statement at the time.the service, which first launched in 2017 and received more than $250 million in federal funding, was cancelled in may in most of the country, with the globe and mail reporting that fewer than five per cent of prescriptions were sent through it. in quebec, some pharmacists and doctors expressed concern after it was announced the project was ending and those who benefited from the digital platform would be forced to return to fax, radio-canada reported in may.ottawa has also launched a review into the organization amid the failed program, and as concerns over funding and governance have arisen. the conservative party has called for the federal government to end funding to canada health infoway; in june, federal health minister marjorie michel said she was withholding $50 million in funding pending the review.asked about the audit and if santé québec has concerns, a spokesperson for the agency told the gazette this week that “we will leave it to the parties involved to comment on these steps.”“for our part, our priority remains ensuring the continuity of services and the continued rollout of prescription québec,” santé québec spokesperson marianne paquette said.“the existing agreement allows for the continued provision of electronic prescribing services in existing settings, while further modernizing the health and social services sector for the benefit of the public and health care professionals.”

costs not publicly disclosed as service expands

santé québec confirmed the province’s new agreement with canada health infoway is for four years. the province received funding from the organization to support the rollout of prescription québec, it said, while quebec’s health and social services ministry foots the bill for operational costs.asked what the sums are, santé québec declined to disclose that information. “the details of the agreement with our partners are contractual commitments and are not made public,” paquette said.in other provinces, some pharmacists reportedly had to pay 20 cents per electronic prescription under prescribeit — an issue that contributed to low adoption numbers, the globe and mail reported. asked if quebec pharmacists were billed, paquette confirmed the province covers the costs of the platform.asked for details on those fees, paquette said they fall under the operational management costs that are not publicly disclosed.quebec’s health ministry said the pilot project is currently used in eight clinics (for 138 doctors) and 14 pharmacies in the eastern townships region.the plan is to gradually roll out the service across quebec. before the project was briefly suspended in the province and the latest agreement was struck, the ministry said it was supposed to expand to 1,900 pharmacies by 2027-2028.

pharmacists, doctors laud deal

quebec’s deal with infoway to keep the service going, and eventually expand its reach, is welcome news to health-care professionals.the association québécoise des pharmaciens propriétaires, which represents pharmacist-owners in the province, said it was pleased to see the project will continue under the leadership of santé québec.“electronic prescribing allows pharmacists to dedicate more time to patient care by reducing low-value administrative tasks, such as manual data entry. we commend the efforts of the provincial and federal governments to ensure the sustainability of this crucial project for pharmacies and patients in quebec,” the aqpp said in a statement thursday to the gazette.quebec’s professional order of physicians said in a statement thursday it “supported the efforts with health canada to ensure the project’s continuation.” the collège des médecins du québec said it also “actively participated in the development of the pilot project.”it described prescription québec as a tool that “promotes patient safety and the secure transmission of information between physicians and pharmacists, which is essential for continuity of care.”the province’s order of pharmacists said it, along with other health and pharmacy stakeholders, had "demonstrated leadership” in recent months to highlight the importance of keeping the service. the electronic tool not only facilitates communication between prescribers and pharmacists, the ordre des pharmaciens du québec said, it also reduces “reliance on paper and fax machines.”“in a network where digital tools are often slow to meet the needs on the ground, it was essential to preserve a functional electronic solution,” the order said in a statement published july 22.“we now hope that the next phase of deployment will proceed effectively, for the benefit of both patients and healthcare teams.”klaframboise@postmedia.com