The Electronic Distribution Working Group (EDWG) continues to be the driving force behind the high levels of electronic distribution of medicine information in Australia. EDWG initiated the development of the Secure Data Warehouse (SDWH), a central repository for pharmaceutical companies to upload, manage, store and distribute their Product Information (PI) and Consumer Medicine Information (CMI). This is the engine driving MedAdvisor's software system.

Current EDWG Initiatives
EDWG was originally established to enable electronic distribution of CMI's. Today EDWG supports CMI and PI version control, growing consumer awareness of CMI availability and enables access to multiple format options for the print impaired. It also helps pharmaceutical companies to be legally compliant and meet auditing requirements.

1. Review Developments of CMI Research & It's Impact on Electronic Distribution

The purpose is to provide current local and international CMI research, with a view to monitoring the impact of CMI and industry change on electronic distribution.

The EDWG committee is currently reviewing the existing Usability Guidelines to evaluate the possibility of amending the CMI's format and content. This would include all the relevant components provided in the Usability Guidelines, while eliminating repetition. EDWG has made significant investment in scoping the potential of a revised CMI together with research, including user-testing. It has simultaneously engaged with industry representative bodies. Reducing the length of CMI's will improve their distribution. Pharmacists and health care providers are more inclined to print shorter formats.

2. Investigate the Process for Communicating Updated Important Safety/Clinical Information Via Electronic Channels

EDWG is reviewing how important safety and clinical information is communicated to healthcare professionals, patients and carers through the various electronic channels. These include initiatives under the TGA Blueprint, such as the TGA Black Triangle Scheme.

3. Investigate Electronic Distribution to Point of Dispense & the Medsafe Website in NZ

EDWG is investigating New Zealand's medicine information legislation and how to collaborate with Medsafe about eCMI's for retail and hospital pharmacies.

4. Review of eCMI in Hospital

EDWG's aim is to increase awareness and distribution of eCMI in hospitals. EDWG strives to ensure all hospital dispense software has access to the most recent CMI at dispense and patients are provided with medication reconciliation - a formal process of obtaining and verifying a complete and accurate list of each patient's current medicines and matching the medicines the patient should be prescribed to those they are actually prescribed.

5. Increase Awareness & Monitor:

• CMI in all formats
  CMI is facilitated throughMedAdvisor's Secure Data Warehouse (SDWH) and is available in multiple formats, including SYNTHETIC AUDIO and LARGE PRINT formats, suitable for the print impaired. EDWG andMedAdvisor actively promote the latest re-engineered CMI-Print application, providing real-time distribution of revised CMIs, with access to formats for the print impaired. Pharmacists can choose between Standard 3 Column PDF, LARGE PRINT PDF, and a link to the SYNTHETIC AUDIO File that can be emailed directly to patients.
• EDWG's activities with government bodies and industry
  EDWG presents at and facilitates many workshops, engaging with industry bodies and Government. The EDWG committee leverages its industry contacts to win support for their initiatives. Other activity includes sponsorship of conferences, website, social media activity, media releases to industry media.
• TGA repository and medsinfo.com.au to aged care organisations and hospitals


medsinfo.com.au

Repositories:

CMI/PI repositories, such as TGA’s and medsinfo.com.au, provide patients, consumers, and health care professionals with the most up to date CMI and PI. Both repositories are directly linked via web services to the SDWH managed by MedAdvisor.

TGA is the official repository for CMI's and PI's, whereby medsinfo.com.au provides users access to multiple format options of CMI's such as Synthetic Audio, LARGE PRINT PDF and standard 3-column pdf.

Aged Care:

It is vital for Aged Care facilities to have access to the most current CMI and provide CMI's to all patients and/carers, especially for newly prescribed medicines. Creating awareness of CMI's in various formats is important for this sector, who benefit greatly from Synthetic Audio and/or LARGE PRINT PDF files. EDWG works closely with LASA (Leading Age Services Australia) to gain greater appreciation of the importance of CMI's in this sector.

6. Monitor the Status and Progress of Electronic Distribution of Medicine Information in Australia & NZ

EDWG works closely withMedAdvisor to understand the latest offering and monitor the number of CMIs available for electronic distribution through the Secure Data Warehouse and medsinfo.com.au.

EDWG has initiated discussion of facilitating electronic CMI's for OTC Schedule 3 medicines.