The application of computerized clinical files to hospital pharmacy practice

As more hospital pharmacies move in the direction of computer access, the profession must identify more clinical applications for computer programming. The roles of the hospital pharmacist and pharmacy technician are changing, and the profession is moving in the direction of increased clinical involvement. The computer is becoming the mainstay of hospital pharmacy practice. Enhancement of computer technology is essential to assist the hospital pharmacist in assimilating all relevant data in order to provide optimal oversight of drug therapy. As more data become available on drugs, optimal use of drugs, and factors which place the patient at risk for developing reactions to drugs, we must place less reliance on committing all facts to memory and recognize that the computer is a necessary solution to optimizing patient care.