As of the update (2.2.6) released today you can now swipe the information on the back of Medical cards directly into a patient’s record in Panara.

Incorrect manual entry, of medical card numbers in particular, can thus be avoided.

The information that’s stored in the magnetic strip is first name, surname, medical card number and expiry date.

Disappointingly, PPS numbers are not stored in the magnetic strip, even when the actual PPS number is printed on the front of the card.

After swiping, if the information differs from that stored for the patient, you are shown a comparison of the various bits side by side along with options to select none, some or all.

Magnetic card readers vary widely in price, this one is reasonably priced and was delivered within about a week. Installation simply involves plugging into a USB slot.