The Honourable Stephen Owen, Secretary of State (Western Economic Diversification) (Indian Affairs and Northern Development), today announced a $4.5-million federal boost for Alberta's Pharmaceutical Information Network, a project that will improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of drug therapies. The funding is for work on the project completed earlier this year.

The Pharmaceutical Information Network (PIN) is the first of its kind in Canada and the cornerstone of the Alberta Wellnet initiative. The network will link community physicians, pharmacists, hospitals and other authorized health care providers, giving them shared access to patient medication records. Successful pilots of the PIN project have been conducted in Westlock, Leduc, Calgary and Edmonton.

By having access to PIN, authorized health care professionals will be able to help patients avoid the adverse drug reactions that currently account for a substantial number of hospital admissions. Costly duplication of prescriptions and over-prescriptions will also be avoided, especially for those patients who are under the care of multiple providers.

Western Economic Diversification Canada's $4.5 million contribution covers previously incurred costs for PIN's development, deployment and computer infrastructure. The funding is in addition to the Alberta government's $24.9 million investment in the project to date.

"The benefits of the Pharmaceutical Information Network project will go beyond improvements in health care for the average Canadian," said Secretary of State Stephen Owen. "Made-in-Alberta innovations in the medical technology field will strengthen the province's ability to diversify and develop local industries and businesses in the information and telecommunications sector."

The importance of a health "information highway" to Canada's future development and to its global competitiveness is recognized by the federal government and by provincial governments across the country. The health sector in Canada is on the leading edge of a number of critical technologies, including the application of advanced information and communication technology as part of a larger electronic health agenda.

On February 12, 2002, Industry Minister Allan Rock announced Industry Canada's component of Canada's Innovation Strategy, two papers that lay out a plan to address skills and innovation challenges for the next decade. The paper released by Minister Rock was entitled Achieving Excellence: Investing in People, Knowledge and Opportunity. Today's announcement supports this strategy.

For more information about Canada's Innovation Strategy, or to obtain a copy of either Knowledge Matters: Skills and Learning for Canadians or Achieving Excellence: Investing in People, Knowledge and Opportunity, please call
1-800-OCANADA (1-800-622-6232) or visit: http://www.innovationstrategy.gc.ca/

Funding for this project was provided for in the February 2003 federal Budget.

For additional information, contact:

Laura McNabb
Western Economic Diversification Canada
Edmonton, Alberta
Tel: (780) 495-6892 

David Dear
Alberta Health and Wellness
Edmonton, Alberta
Tel: (780) 427-5207