Dear Alan,
> Really the quickest way to deal with the Meds pick list is as follows.
> Pick a box that brings down a list of all the meds in an alphabetized data
> base with each individual med also listed with all of its different dosing
> forms and different dosing frequencies. Have the list negotiated by a
> simple keying in of the letters of the medication and allow the list to jump
> to that ordering of letters.
> Ie: List comes up at A (of course) then type in AVA and would bring list
> down to Avalide, Avapro selections. Then just choose dosing form and
> frequency, # to dispense and # refills, check box for do not substitute.
Yep, that was the type of list we were talking about all the time.
> Databases can easily be managed once all data is entered initially.
> With new meds, when a drug rep come in and details the MD, add the lines
> needed for each of the new meds. Usually no more than a few a month!
And here is the catch: you do NOT enter it manually. Typically, you get the data by
subscription together with product info, consumer info, interactions etc. If not
today, you will do so in the near future. For medico-legal reasons alone I never would
even think about entering this information (which fills a whole CD at least both in
Australia and in Germany ) manually. And even if you would enter it manually: the
problem of large lists remains. If not with drugs, then with patients.
> Need to remember on this list that there are REAL MDs out here too who are
> not quite as fast on the technical side of the software and hardware, but do
> understand the logical ordering of what it takes to see a patient from when
> they walk in the door of the office, into the exam room and on their way out!
The (technical) problem we tried to solve is how to fill exactly these lists you are
talking about fast without causing delay. Because this data has to come from
somewhere, and especially in large group practices or hospitals the lists (drugs was
only on esimple example) can be huge..
Regards from another real MD
Horst
