computerized prescriber order entry

[BS1976]

Greetings to all.

I am a hospital pharmacist in Texas, USA.

Approximately what percentage of UK hospitals have established electronic entry of medication orders, i.e., gotten rid of handwriting as a medium of communicating physician orders?

[Apothecary]

Hi BS1976 - welcome to the forum

I found this on the website: -

http://www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/eps

The Electronic Prescription Service Document Actions

"NHS Connecting for Health is responsible for introducing an Electronic Prescription Service to which prescribers and dispensers in primary care in England will be connected. By 2007, every GP surgery (for use by the GPs, nurses and other prescribers working from the surgery) and community pharmacy and other dispensers will have access to the service. In due course, prescribers working from other locations such as walk-in centres or dental practices, will also be included. There are also plans to include hospitals, to enable hospital prescriptions issued for dispensing in the community to be included."

As you can see there are plans to include hospitals, but I don't think at the moment this is happening. I have worked in two hospitals and it was the same old paper system in both of them. That was about 4 years ago though, so it could have changed a bit, but I am pretty sure it is not a common practice yet. As a percentage I would have to guess at less then 10%. What's it like in Texas?

Are there any hospital pharmacists out there who can answer this question better then me?

[BS1976]

Only 10 to 20% of the hospitals in Texas use an electronic medication ordering system. As we speak, however, my hospital is converting to this. Community pharmacies in Texas, and in the US in general, have yet to adopt this, but there has been much written in the trade journals about it. I expect it to appear over the next several years.

[Elaine]

I think in time it will come here too, but how long it takes will depend on a lot of things.