The pharmacy computer system at The Ohio State University hospitals

The pharmacy computer system designed, developed, and implemented at The Ohio State University Hospitals is described. The computer system was developed to make more efficient use of hospital facilities and professional staff time. The pharmacy system operates on the mainframe hospital system using computer terminals with light-pen and keyboard access. Current online applications include order entry, patient profiles, pharmacokinetic calculations, and preparation of unit dose cart fill lists. Batch processing functions include drug-use review, drug-drug interactions, and financial management reports. Approximately 95% of unit dose orders and 20% of i.v. orders are conditionally entered by pharmacy technicians for subsequent verification by pharmacists. The system saves considerable staff time in the i.v. admixture and billing areas and has relieved pharmacists from performing many clerical and repetitive tasks. Disadvantages of the system include (1) its dependence on another department for patient admission, transfer, and discharge information and (2) delays in obtaining approval for program modifications and new applications. The advantages of the pharmacy computer system lie in its ability to access information from other computerized databases in the hospital. Future modifications and enhancements to the system are discussed.