It's a plan to make health care in the province safer, faster, and more secure.

     The Ministry of Health is in the process of automating physicians' offices around the province, which includes switching over to electronic patient records.

     Deputy Health Minister Max Heinrichs says electronic medical records adds to patient safety because the traditional paper record-keeping is at times slow and unreliable, while electronic records will ease up the system.

     Heinrichs says patient records will remain confidential.  In fact, security will be improved because the Ministry will be able to control access to it.

     Physicians will be able to access prescription information, radiology studies, and eventually laboratory results.  They will soon be able to write electronic prescriptions that will be delivered to pharmacists in a clear, easy-to-read format.

     Heinrichs says the changeover to electronic records is being expedited, and patients should not experience any delays in the process.