The Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association has come up with a system which it says will reduce paperwork and administrative burden for doctors.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Criteria Database helps to cover the cost of certain medications for eligible residents. Some of those medications are only covered under specific criteria and require a “special authorization” request from a prescriber. The new database will enable physicians to access coverage information while prescribing or reviewing medications at the point of care.

The new system essentially combines the prescription drug program with the provincial electronic medical record. Having all the information in one place allows doctors to avoid time-consuming tasks like searching for the correct forms or manually verifying prescription drug program coverage.

Early estimates suggest the time doctors spend in this regard could be reduced from five minutes to under one minute.