March 11, 2011

Request for qualifications issued for provincial electronic medication management system

TORONTO – eHealth Ontario and Infrastructure Ontario released a request for qualifications (RFQ) today to identify qualified companies interested in developing an electronic medication management system for the province. The RFQ, released earlier than expected, encourages the private sector to deliver innovative, flexible solutions that will more quickly provide clinical value to Ontarians.

The goals of the electronic medication management system are: to improve patient safety, to improve quality of care, to increase access to care and provide online tools to support medication management. The electronic medication management system will provide a secure and comprehensive record of medications to enhance patient care in Ontario.

The two key components of the electronic medication management system which will provide health care benefits to Ontarians are:

• ePrescribing: allows doctors, nurse practitioners and other clinicians to send prescriptions electronically to pharmacists; and
• A drug information system: provides clinicians with a comprehensive medication history for patients.

The system will improve patient safety by reducing the number of adverse drug reactions.

eHealth Ontario is playing the lead role in harnessing information technology and innovation to improve patient care, safety and access in support of the government’s health strategy.

Once RFQ submissions are received they will be evaluated to pre-qualify companies with the experience, the qualified resources and the financial strength to develop and deliver an electronic medication management system of this size and complexity for all Ontarians. Pre-qualified organizations will then be invited to respond to a request for proposals, expected to be released in the summer of 2011.

eHealth Ontario is focusing its efforts over the next three years on diabetes management, and medication management. These priorities are fundamental to building comprehensive electronic health records for all Ontarians by 2015.

Infrastructure Ontario is working with eHealth Ontario to deliver the project under the province’s Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) delivery model. AFP transfers risks to the private sector vendor, including those related to designing, building and financing the electronic medication management system. This ensures the system is delivered on time, on budget and is performing to agreed service levels.

Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to delivering some of the province’s larger and more complex infrastructure renewal projects - ensuring they are built on time and on budget; as well, it is dedicated to providing the public sector and not-for-profit organizations with long-term financing to renew their infrastructure.

Visit www.ehealthontario.on.ca and / or www.infrastructureontario.ca for more information. To download the request for qualifications, visit www.merx.com.

 

For further information please contact:

Abigail Brown
abigail.brown@ehealthontario.on.ca
eHealth Ontario

Terence Foran
Infrastructure Ontario
416-325-2939

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