Work-sampling evaluation of an upgraded outpatient pharmacy computer system

The effect of an upgraded outpatient pharmacy computer system on routine dispensing activities was studied. A computer system that previously generated patient bills, prescription labels, and management reports was upgraded to provide patient profiles, allergy and drug-drug interaction monitoring, auxiliary-label notification, and prescription prices. Four months after the upgraded system was implemented, dispensing activities were analyzed using a work-sampling technique. The percent of time spent in prescription processing, inventory maintenance, problem solving, or miscellaneous activities was determined. These data were compared with data obtained in a study of the old system. A total of 5897 observations of the upgraded system was compared with 5632 observations in the previous study. There were significantly different changes among the four activity groups for the total staff and for pharmacists, technicians, and the data-entry operator. Under the modified system, pharmacists spent more time in prescription coding and less time on patient counseling. The data-entry operator had less computer-entry time. It could not be stated conclusively that overall efficiency was improved by the new system.