Downloading soon to a phone near you: Drug formulary gets 'appified'

Need to look up a drug’s therapeutic classification or its level of coverage under the provincial health plan? If you’re still using your desktop browser or, worse, a thick-as-a-brick paper binder to search through the Ontario drug benefit formulary, you may want to put those away and reach for your mobile phone instead. The province's complete drug formulary has been "appified." Simply put, that means there’s a new app that gives physicians, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals on-the-go access to the complete Ontario e-formulary, and it’s currently free to download and use. “The only thing we’re asking for is feedback,” said Chris Obi, the app’s creator. “So far the people who have used it have been very positive about it, so now we’re opening it up to a wider audience and inviting them to share their views.” Available through RxCoverage.ca, the app provides off- and online access to the entire Ontario drug coverage formulary, within a user interface designed to eliminate the need to navigate multiple tables and click on numerous links. Read: New app helps healthcare practitioners evaluate other digital health tools Through the app, users can do quick searches for brand and generic drugs, filter according to certain search parameters—therapeutic classification, coverage status, reason for use code, interchangeability and manufacturer—and view comprehensive or partial information. Users can also set up push notifications that alert them to updates. “The Number One benefit is having all this information in one place, and having it right there on your mobile device,” said Obi, who had initially developed a paper-based, pocket version of the formulary before parlaying the concept into a mobile app. “You don’t have to log into your computer—the information is accessible to you anywhere you are.” With the Ontario formulary app now launched, Obi plans to create similar apps for the formularies of other provinces and territories. “We have the template for Ontario, so it’s a breeze to adapt it for other parts of the country,” he said. Read: Do your patients understand prescription coverage

Downloading soon to a phone near you: Drug formulary gets 'appified'

Register for free access or login.

Related Topics