Fantastic idea: Integrate drug and test cost data with the electronic medical record

Family physicians prescribe medications and order tests every day without any information regarding the price of these interventions. To support the Choosing Wisely campaign and to advance responsible patient care, why not integrate drug and test cost data into the electronic medical record so that family doctors will instantly know the financial ramifications of their management decisions? By including insurance benefit information, physicians can also ensure that prescribed medications will be covered by provincial drug plans and can provide the appropriate limited-use code. This will save time and obviate the back-and-forth faxing between the pharmacy and the clinic when doctors accidently prescribe medications that are not covered or are too expensive for our patients without a drug plan, or omit the correct limited-use code. Also, making visible the cost of blood and imaging tests might provide an opportunity for collaborative discussions with patients about costs and benefits of diagnostic testing