Electronic Medical Record system to keep track of patient medicines

By ANDREW POTTER, TIMES-REPUBLICAN

As McFarland Clinic in Marshalltown moves to a new electronic records system, staff members hope keeping a handle on patients' medication will be easier as well.

The new Electronic Medical Record system will allow doctors to enter all the medication a patient is taking and the dosage.

This is expected to help alleviate any negative interactions medications may have with each other.

"When we add the medications it will automatically check interactions with other medicines and also if the patient is allergic to the medication," said Dr. Lynne DeSotel, who practices family medicine at the clinic.

The computerized system will help McFarland keep track of the medications throughout all of its doctors and specialists at all of its locations around Iowa.

"I can provide better care when I know what the patients are on and what they have taken in the past," DeSotel said.

The system will eventually allow doctors to send a prescription directly to the pharmacy for patients. Currently the system is in the data collection stage and is expected to get full-time use in the next year or two.

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Contact Andrew Potter at 641-753-6611 or apotter@timesrepublican.com