Managing pharmacy information systems

The current state of pharmacy information systems is described, and a future direction for information management efforts is proposed. Today's pharmacy information systems are supported by excellent hardware and software. Systems are less expensive, more responsive, more flexible, and smaller than ever before. However, we have been ineffective at tailoring information systems to the pharmaceutical-care needs of patients. Instead, there is overemphasis on traditional requirements to support unit dose drug distribution, i.v. admixture preparation, and admission-discharge-transfer and billing systems. Deficiencies of current systems include a lack of real-time interfaces among hospital systems; redundancy of effort by users; ineffective capturing, reporting, and integration of data; and a cumbersome order-entry process. A vast amount of information is circulating; the challenge is to focus on those clinical and financial data on which patient-care decisions can be based. Each hospital pharmacy should develop a clinical information management strategy. Existing systems should be examined to determine which functions are not being used and which could be enhanced without major software modifications; enhancements might include routine entry of drug allergy information so that all orders may be screened and the use of networks and interfaces to provide medication profiles to physicians and nurses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)