Cancer Care Ontario and Montreal-based Canada Health Infoway are expanding the use of tools that aim to reduce medication errors, improve efficiency in the delivery of cancer care and facilitate communication within care provider teams.
The cancer-specific computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system, operated by Cancer Care Ontario, enables physicians to directly order chemotherapy and related drugs electronically, minimizing many potential and harmful medical errors such as handwriting interpretation and dose calculations.
The system also provides doctors with support and alerts regarding appropriate dosage and alternative medications. It can alert clinicians to duplicate therapies, potentially dangerous drug interactions and drug allergies for specific patients, while adhering to best practice guidelines from a provincial level.
