Technology
R.Ph.s told to be more active in selecting technology
September 27th 2004Pharmacists remain the driving force behind the selection of pharmacy information and automated drug dispensing systems in most hospitals and health systems. But as newer technologies emerge, such as computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and bar-coding, pharmacists are increasingly being left out of the decision-making loop.
Software creates daily MARs, reducing drug errors
September 27th 2004Reducing the interim between the final entry on a medication administration record and printing out the MAR can result in a significant improvement in patient safety. That's what a small rural hospital in Pennsylvania discovered using a software application that created virtually up-to-the-minute daily MAR printouts. By decreasing lag time from more than two hours to less than 15 minutes, the hospital pharmacy reduced medication errors by 40%.
RFID technology: Experts assess its merits, drawbacks
September 27th 2004Does radio frequency identification (RFID) technology have a future in automated drug distribution? This hot technology is rapidly gaining momentum with drug companies, chain pharmacies, and distributors as a way to combat counterfeit drugs. And recently Mountain View, Calif.-based Omnicell Inc. rolled out a p rototype RFID version of its OptiFlex inventory management system.
Project probes reengineering med management system
September 27th 2004Hospitals and health systems are under increasing pressure to reengineer their medication use systems and to make the process safer, more efficient, and more cost-effective. In most instances, these types of reengineering initiatives are proprietary. Hospitals aren't in the habit of sharing the details about such projects with their competitors. But what if the data from such a reengineering project were made public for all to see and to learn from?
CPOE systems need clinical R.Ph. involvement, study finds
May 17th 2004Computerized physician order entry reduces prescribing errors but such systems also require advanced clinical decision support and clincial pharmacist involvement, according to a Northwestern Memorial Hospital study of prescribing errors.
