1. Managing Technology and Pharmacy Information Systems
Sarkhell Araz MSc. Public health/Epidemiology
Lec: 9

2. Managing Information Technology
Management Principles
Hardware and Software Technologies
Pharmacy Informatics 2

3. Computerized Prescribe Order Entry COPE
First Consulting Group
Open CPOE PDF file
Go to Appendix B
Order Entry Systems: Major Functions and Features
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American Hospital Association
Medication Safety
AHA Initiative
Safety Advisories
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The Rx Files -
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The Rx Files 3

4. Computer & Medical Education
Computers have revolutionized the way education is handled in the today’s world.. In medical education, computers are particularly useful because there is such a need for learning and presenting large amounts of data, getting and comparing accurate study and test results, and effectively monitoring patients.

5. Health informatics
Health care informatics or medical informatics is the
intersection of information science, computer science, and health care.
It deals with the resources, devices, and methods required to optimize the acquisition (gaining), storage, retrieval, and use of information in health and biomedicine.
Health informatics tools include not only computers but also clinical guidelines, formal medical terminologies, and information and communication systems. It is applied to the areas of nursing, clinical care, dentistry, pharmacy, public health and (bio) medical research.

6. Computer-aided design of drugs
A further refinement of new drug design and production was provided by the process of computer-aided design (CAD). With the availability of powerful computers and sophisticated graphics software, it is possible for the medicinal chemist to design new molecules and evaluate their effectiveness.

7. Drug Information Services
Pharmaceutical companies are responsible for providing updated, relevant information on the efficacy, safety and quality of drugs to medical professionals and finally to patients. To fulfill this responsibility, they developed a drug information database system to manage various information generated during development of new products and after launch of the products.
This system is incorporated into an on-line network system, and can be directly accessed by thousands of people all over the world.

8. INFORMATION SYSTEM IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
An information system (IS) is any combination of information technology and people's activities using that technology to support operations, management, and decision-making.
Advanced pharmaceutical companies are realizing that the implementation of information management technologies in their operations can greatly enhance their chances for success by reducing their time-to-market and enhancing efficiency in their production runs.

9. Internet
Enhancements to pharmacy practice made possible by the Internet can be expressed in terms of the three C’s:
content, communication, and commerce
In the widely known book, Internet for Dummies, the Internet is defined as “all of the computers in the world talking to all of the other computers in the world”
Use of the Internet for health care purposes is growing exponentially, with well over 200 countries connected globally.
Internet Content Thousands of Web sites are available to assist health care professionals in providing drug information useful in pharmaceutical care.

10. One source reported that by the end of 2002 about 80 % of Americans adult Internet users had used the Internet to look for health information .
Owing to the fact that anyone (regardless of educational background or credentials) can post a Web site, the reliability and validity of health care information on the Internet vary widely.
Hence pharmacists must have skills to evaluate the usefulness,
accuracy, and quality of the information available.

11. Internet Communication
has changed the way in which we communicate drastically.
Many people now prefer to communicate via than by telephone or regular mail.
Some patients questions to their health care providers and access information on consumer-oriented Web sites.
communication may have the potential to improve compliance to medications. For example, some pharmacies provide reminders via when a chronic medication refill is almost due and a reminder when the prescription is filled and ready for pickup.
The cost to send this kind of message is negligible, and the results can be positive both therapeutically and financially. Education can be provided on
chronic disease states specific to the individual by electronic

12. Intranets Another source of information that employees of health
care organizations commonly have access to is intranets.
Often an organization’s intranet has Internet
access but is fire walled so that its computers cannot be
reached directly by anyone outside the organization.
This can be achieved by requiring an identification password for access to a Web site. Intranets can provide a rich environment for sharing ideas and receiving consultation from peers and for the efficient sharing of resources.

13. Extranets, on the other hand, while similar to intranets and accessible by the Internet, require access authorization and typically are used to connect a pharmacy with its business partners, such as drug wholesalers.
The Web site may be accessed for support in ordering and tracking a pharmacy’s order.

14. AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS
Several key factors drive the need for automation.
A national shortage of pharmacists in the face of ever increasing prescription volumes is one major impetus.
Another is the profound need to reduce the incidence of medication errors.
Still another is the opportunity created by automation to enhance the role of pharmacists in patient care.
Finally, consumers’ demand for speed and convenience further enhances the attractiveness of automation in pharmacy operations

15. SURESCRIPTS
Surescripts was founded in 2001 by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA).

16. Their mission is to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of the overall prescribing process.
The Pharmacy Health Information Exchange operated by SureScripts is the largest network to link electronic communications between pharmacies and physicians, allowing the electronic exchange of prescription information. The pharmacy population that it focuses on is community or retail pharmacies (

17. COMPUTERIZED PHYSICIAN/PROVIDER ORDER ENTRY (CPOE)
Computerized physician/provider order entry is defined as the computer system that allows direct entry of medical orders by the physician or person with appropriate licensure and privileges to do so.
Directly entering orders into a computer has the benefit of reducing errors by minimizing the errors caused by handwritten orders, but even a greater benefit is realized
when the combination of CPOE and clinical decision support
tools is implemented together.

18. Implementation of CPOE is being encouraged increasingly.
as an important solution to the challenge
of reducing medical errors and improving health care
quality and efficiency. But use of CPOE is not yet
widespread in part because it has a reputation for being
difficult to implement successfully.
CPOE.org is aWeb site that presents the results

19. TELEHEALTH
Telehealth is a recent innovation that brings care
directly to the patient, allowing health care practitioners to provide services from remote locations
Telehealth employs telecommunications and information technology.
It is an umbrella concept under which telemedicine, telenursing, and telepharmacy fall.
It combines practices, products, and services that make it possible to deliver health care and information to any location.

20. TELEPHARMACY
Telepharmacy define as “the provision of pharmaceutical care through the use of telecommunications and information technologies to patients at a distance”
For example, one of the most basic forms of telepharmacy is a pharmacy Web site that can be expanded and developed to offer patient care functions.
A basic pharmacy Web site may include information that
lists hours of operation, location and directions, and
specialized services available.
This basic setup then can be expanded to offer patient care such as an request for a refill or more advanced functions such as an
“Ask the Pharmacist” service.

21. Good Luck