Steve Dorey
13 JUL 2011 12:45:05We are wondering how best to roll out PTS to our Cancer Unit and would welcome suggestions and advice.
The Unit has two dispensaries - one (WC) is responsible for the preparation of the cytos whilst the other (WPH) deals with other preparations for both inpatient and outpatient issues. For many of the prescriptions dealt with by WPH it's a straightforward job - book in, clinical check, dispense, technical check then issue - and I don't forsee any problems with this as it just replicates what happens in the rest of our dispensaries.
The problems are likely to occur with the WC location. They receive prescriptions generated and printed out via Chemocare. These prescriptions are for a mixture of IV preparations, all needed at different dates and times (some depending on lab results) and for oral preparations, also needed at different times. Once the whole prescription has been validated, the page for the oral preparations is separated and podded down to WPH. It's essential that everything gets co-ordinated and that what is happening with the different parts of the prescription is obvious to the wards. We have had instances where patients have been sent home without the oral meds and we need to avoid this.
Hopefully this description makes clear what a complex environment this is. Has anyone tackled putting PTS into such an area and can anyone offer guidance, please?
Steve Dorey,
IM&T Pharmacist, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.
Steve Rees
13 JUL 2011 18:46:15Our dispensary based screening pharmacist transcribes any drug charts onto ward sheets, the barcodes are then moved from the drug chart onto the ward sheet. We then suspend any that are not needed until future dates. Multiple patients for the same wards are put onto single ward sheets, the more up to date PTS software lets you add multiple patients onto one barcode but we dont currently use this.
Its a different situation as these are regular inpatient drug charts where all items are transcribed for a specific day but could this work for the IVs and other items needed for future dates?
Steven Rees
IT support technician
Royal Surrey County Hospital
Steve Dorey
15 JUL 2011 14:55:35Thanks Steve. I'll pass this on to the staff who'll have to deal with it and see what they say. My personal view is that I'd be wary of presenting more opportunities for transcription errors but then I don't work in our cyto unit (thankfully).
Has anyone else got suggestions, please?
Thanks
Steve Dorey,
IM&T Pharmacist, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals