[Computer-aided electronic prescribing in Spanish hospitals].

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Hospital Pharmacy Management
• Clinical Pharmacy Practice

Background:

• Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) systems are increasingly adopted in healthcare settings.
• Hospital Pharmacy Departments are key areas for implementing such technologies.
• Understanding the current status, features, and impact of e-prescribing is crucial for optimizing its use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the implementation and characteristics of electronic prescribing systems in a sample of Spanish hospitals.
• To assess the activities and software features associated with e-prescribing in Hospital Pharmacy Departments.
• To gauge pharmacist acceptance and satisfaction with e-prescribing systems.

Main Methods:

• A survey was designed to collect data on e-prescribing implementation and performance.
• The survey targeted hospitals with diverse characteristics and was distributed via the Sociedad Española de Farmacia Hospitalaria website.
• Data collection was supplemented through phone interviews.

Main Results:

• Out of 47 surveyed hospitals, 13 (27.7%) utilized e-prescribing systems, with 8 having over 75% bed occupancy.
• 15 hospitals (31.9%) had e-prescribing implementation planned for the near future.
• Software applications were not standardized, and integration for pharmaceutical care tasks was infrequent. Pharmacists handled transcription in 61.5% and order validation in 92.3% of hospitals with e-prescribing.
• Pharmacist satisfaction with e-prescribing was high (92.3% rated it good or very good).

Conclusions:

• Computer-aided electronic prescribing facilitates the reorganization of hospital pharmacy departments.
• E-prescribing enables pharmacists to dedicate more time to clinical activities.
• Optimizing e-prescribing systems requires considering staff time investment and training for new roles.