Patient records are being shared by pharmacies, community care organisation Nurse Maude and the Canterbury District Health Board via an electronic record keeping system.
The system became active on Thursday with information from GPs to be included in coming months.
The DHB's chief medical officer, Nigel Millar, says it is designed to speed up information sharing and to allow medical professionals to provide better care for their patients, including quick assessments of the medication they are taking.
Dr Millar says the need to protect patient confidentiality meant the system could not be offered over the internet.
