Pharmaceutical Information Program

The Pharmaceutical Information Program (PIP) will improve the health of Saskatchewan residents, by providing authorized health care professionals (e.g. pharmacists and physicians) with confidential access to patient medication records. Having access to quality information about their patients will help Saskatchewan health care professionals offer the highest quality of care.

Prior to the introduction of PIP, there was no centralized, complete source of prescription records for health care providers to use when making decisions about a patient's drug therapy. PIP will ensure that individuals and their health care providers have the information needed to make the best decisions about their health care.

The Pharmaceutical Information Program is a major step forward in enhancing patient safety. The program will help prescribers select the best medication to avoid drug interactions and duplications of therapy, including prescription drug abuse. PIP will also help health professionals sort through the numerous medications a person may be taking when treating medical conditions, or where several prescribers are involved in a patient's care.

PIP is currently available to all licensed physicians, pharmacists, optometrists, dentists, registered nurses and registered nurse practitioners in Saskatchewan and is currently being used by 1,300 authorized health care professionals in 414 emergency rooms, pharmacies, physician clinics, dental clinics, optometrist clinics and all other regional health authority facilities (including ICU's, pediatrics wards, mental health and family medicine departments within hospitals.)

PIP is part of a wider government strategy to create an electronic health record.