Accuracy and time requirements of a bar-code inventory system for medical supplies.

The effects of implementing a bar-code system for issuing medical supplies to nursing units at a university teaching hospital were evaluated. Data on the time required to issue medical supplies to three nursing units at a 480-bed, tertiary-care teaching hospital were collected (1) before the bar-code system was implemented (i.e., when the manual system was in use), (2) one month after implementation, and (3) four months after implementation. At the same times, the accuracy of the central supply perpetual inventory was monitored using 15 selected items. One-way analysis of variance tests were done to determine any significant differences between the bar-code and manual systems. Using the bar-code system took longer than using the manual system because of a significant difference in the time required for order entry into the computer. Multiple-use requirements of the central supply computer system made entering bar-code data a much slower process. There was, however, a significant improvement in the accuracy of the perpetual inventory. Using the bar-code system for issuing medical supplies to the nursing units takes longer than using the manual system. However, the accuracy of the perpetual inventory was significantly improved with the implementation of the bar-code system.

Attitudes and policies about continuing education among Wisconsin hospital pharmacy directors.

Pharmacy directors in Wisconsin hospitals were surveyed to determine their attitudes toward continuing professional education and to assess the status of policies and procedures regarding continuing education (CE) and funding for CE activities. A two-page questionnaire was sent to all pharmacy directors in the state. A total of 151 questionnaires were delivered and 103 (68.2%) usable responses were returned. Written policies and procedures regarding CE were available in 47.6% of pharmacy departments. Most directors (84.5%) had formal mechanisms for documenting staff participation in CE activities but few (19.6%) reported having criteria for determining who would attend CE programs. Only 64% of directors used a formal system of budgeting for CE activities, although 88% provide financial support for CE activities outside the institution. The types of CE activities considered to be most desirable were programs sponsored by pharmacy organizations, programs sponsored by schools of pharmacy, and journal reading. Many directors (72.8%) believed that CE is necessary if pharmacists are to remain competent, but few (5.9%) believed that their budgets were adequate to meet the costs of all CE activities in which their pharmacists might be interested, and few expected their budgets to increase. Based on this survey, Wisconsin pharmacy directors in both small and large hospitals believe that CE is important and that the pharmacy department should support it.

Application of federal indicators in nursing-home drug-regimen review.

Numbers of medications per patient and rate of drug administration errors were compared in Wisconsin long-term care facilities that used federal indicators in conducting drug-regimen review versus facilities that did not use the indicators. Data were collected from 1132 charts in 24 facilities randomly selected from a state survey schedule for June-October 1982. Both prescription and nonprescription drugs that patients received during the 30-day period preceding the survey were counted. Medication use was compared by facility type--skilled-nursing facility (SNF), intermediate-care facility (ICF), or ICF for the mentally retarded. The federal indicators were used in 10 facilities. Mean number of medications used per patient where indicators were applied (5.4 versus 6.6 for SNFs and 3.4 versus 5.8 for ICFs ) was not significantly different. In SNFs using the indicators, patients received 5.6 medications where the consultant pharmacist was also the provider and 5.2 where the consultant was not the provider. Medication use was not significantly different by facility type. The number of drug administration irregularities per 100 residents was significantly greater where indicators were not applied. Further study is needed to determine whether use of federal indicators encourages more efficient and appropriate drug therapy for patients in long-term care facilities.

Institutional support of continuing education as a fringe benefit for hospital pharmacists.

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which hospital pharmacists in Wisconsin received compensation for continuing education (CE) from their institutions and to compare this with their participation in CE activities. The study was conducted by a mail questionnaire sent to all pharmacists practicing in a hospital setting in Wisconsin. The usable response rate was greater than 45%. Persons in administrative positions received greater support for CE activities than staff in the areas of registration fees (P less than 0.005), travel expenses (P less than 0.0005), dues for professional organizations (P less than 0.0005), and compensatory time (P less than 0.0005). Pharmacists in the sample participated in an average of 123.8 hours of CE yearly, including 77.2 hours of journal reading. Staff size influenced the method of obtaining CE, with smaller staffs relying more heavily on journals and larger staffs on in-house programs. The amount of compensation did not influence total CE participation, suggesting that other factors might influence CE participation.