COVID-19 Updates March 25, 2020- The Victoria and SI Divisions and Island Health recently struck a COVID-19 Community Response task group. The group is working diligently on a low-risk assessment clinic you can refer patients to for a face-to-face examination after you saw them virtually. This will allow offices to focus on virtual care instead of exposing all physicians and staff to risk. If you have capacity to help staff
the low-risk assessment clinic underway please contact Helen at hwelch@divisionsbc.ca.
- Patient privacy changes and new COVID-19 order sets in PowerChart and FirstNet can be viewed on the Island Health medical staff website.
- London Drugs advises of the best ways to ensure prescriptions are filled efficiently with social distancing being maintained, especially for the vulnerable and elderly:
- FPs fax prescription to patient’s pharmacy of choice
- Most pharmacies offer free delivery to patients
- Refills and chronic meds take about one day to fill (wholesalers are rationing stock, which causes delays)
- Mark any acute prescriptions, such as pain or discharge orders “RUSH” for immediate dispensing
- Write down CWR (call when ready); pharmacy will notify patients to avoid unnecessary patient trips
- An online forum for physicians to engage with each other to discuss innovative COVID-19 ideas and solutions is now available through DoBC here.
- The latest COVID-19 updates and statistics, the self-assessment tool plus trusted resources and alerts for the public are available at https://bc.thrive.health. Please share the link on your social media so your friends, family and community can benefit, too.
- Please regularly visit Island Health's Primary Care Package page on their coronavirus updates website, the BCCDC page and Pathways for updates.
In case you missed it: - The Division is still working on sourcing Personal Protective Equipment. If your office is closed and you have PPE, please contact covidvictoria@divisionsbc.ca for redistribution.
- If you have not signed up for Doxy.me for telemedicine yet and wish to do so, you can access the Victoria and South Island Divisions’ discount code by emailing may.woodburn@sidfp.com. Sign-up instructions and other telemedicine resources can be found here.
- DTO is now hosting weekly drop-in telemedicine webinars for physicians, every Thursday starting March 26, 2020. Register here. DTO has also produced a telemedicine patient Q&A for you to use here.
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