Making difficult things easy: use of a relational data base for pharmacy management
Current Concepts in Hospital Pharmacy Management
|February 3, 1989
Summary
Database programming challenges in management can be overcome with user-friendly software like Paradox. This tool enables rapid learning and application for various data management tasks, transforming tedious work into creative problem-solving.
Area of Science:
- Database Management
- Health Informatics
- Management Science
Background:
- Departments often lack in-house proficient database programmers.
- Traditional management problems are frequently time-consuming and resource-intensive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility of using user-friendly database software for management tasks.
- To demonstrate the application of such software in a departmental setting without prior programming expertise.
Main Methods:
- Learning and implementing the Paradox database software.
- Applying the software to various departmental management problems.
Main Results:
- Paradox was learned and applied effectively in a short period.
- The software streamlined previously time-consuming management tasks.
- Applications included antimicrobial use analysis, drug tracking, personnel records, and workload statistics.
Conclusions:
- User-friendly database software empowers departments without dedicated programmers.
- The 'do-it-yourself' approach is viable with modern, powerful database tools.
- Database management can become a creative challenge, yielding actionable insights.
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