Computer-based system for maintaining and printing a hospital formulary

Use of a pharmacy department personal computer (PC) with database management and word processing (WP) systems to maintain a hospital formulary is described. Data input and formatting were accomplished with IBM-PC/XT-compatible equipment, the Nutshell (Leading Edge) database management system, and the Wordperfect (WordPerfect Corporation) WP system. Computer-generated pages were photocopied and placed in loose-leaf binders; reduced copies were made for pocket-size binders. The cost of an outside printing service was eliminated, and the loose-leaf format made it possible to replace only the pages with revisions. The large binders were prominently placed and clearly marked to encourage use by physicians; the number of copies needed was reduced because individual copies were no longer provided to each physician. Excluding first-year one-time costs, the annual formulary maintenance cost (for 250 copies) was projected to be approximately one sixth the cost incurred previously, when 1300 bound formularies were printed annually. Maintaining and printing the hospital formulary on a PC facilitated the updating of the formulary and reduced printing costs.