Impact of computerization on clinical pharmacy services in South Atlantic states

The impact of computerization on clinical pharmacy services in the South Atlantic region was surveyed. Questionnaires were mailed to 350 hospital pharmacy directors in March 1987. The survey assessed type of computer system, degree of computerization, years computerized, hospital bed capacity, occupancy rate, staffing, presence of a clinical coordinator, and type of clinical services. For analysis of the relationship between clinical services and computerization, only responses indicating an increase in the number of clinical services since 1982 were used. Respondents were asked to rank, in order of importance, factors that they believed enabled clinical services to be increased. The survey response rate was 52.2%, with 179 of 343 usable replies received. The results indicate that there is a link between computerization and clinical services. Computerized pharmacies offered more services on average than did noncomputerized pharmacies. However, the differences in the types of services offered between computerized and noncomputerized pharmacies were not significant. Of the different means of increasing services, pharmacy directors ranked increasing professional staff the most important, followed by increased responsibility of technical staff, computerization, increasing technical staff, hiring a clinical coordinator, and other methods. Pharmacy directors interested in increasing the numbers of clinical services offered at their institutions should consider organizational factors such as departmental structure and number and types of personnel in conjunction with computerization.