System and software of enhanced pharmacy services and related methods

A system of enhanced pharmaceutical order entry and administration by medical personnel and enhanced pharmaceutical inventory control within a medical institution, the system comprising:

• a medical institution pharmaceutical information processing and management computer including memory to store data therein to thereby define a pharmaceutical information management server;
• a plurality of patient medication profile records and a corresponding plurality of electronic medication administration records for each of a respective plurality of patients stored in the memory of the pharmaceutical information management server;
• medication administration program product comprising a set of instructions stored in the memory of the pharmaceutical information management server that when executed by the pharmaceutical information management server accept remote input from a physician to access the plurality of patient medication profile records to thereby allow display of a selected patient medication profile, produce and allow display of a medication order entry form having input fields that when accessed through instructions by the medication administration program product provide medication administration data to form an electronic medication order accessible by a pharmacist to perform a medication order verification, provide the medication administration data to the electronic medication administration records, and provide medical institution nursing unit members automated medication administration scheduling requirements, to thereby provide enhanced management of medication administration in the medical institution;
• a communications network in communication with the pharmaceutical information management server;
• and
• a plurality of medical institution physician computers positioned remote from the pharmaceutical information management server, each in communication with the pharmaceutical information management server through the communication network and each including memory and software stored in the memory adapted to provide access to the medication administration program product to allow the physician to display a patient medication profile for a preselected patient, to select a desired medication, and to display a medication order entry form, so that the physician can create an electronic medication order to thereby provide data to an associated medication profile record and an associated electronic medication administration record.

A system of enhanced pharmaceutical order entry and administration by medical personnel and enhanced pharmaceutical inventory control within a medical institution, the system comprising:

• an information processing and management computer including memory to store data therein to thereby define an information management server;
• medication administration program product comprising a set of instructions stored in the memory of the information management server that when executed by the information management server cause the server to accept remote input from a physician to display a medication order entry form having input fields that when accessed through instructions by the medication administration program product provide medication administration data to form an electronic medication order, provide the medication administration data to an electronic medication administration record, and provide medical institution nursing unit members automated medication administration scheduling requirements;
• a communications network in communication with the information management server;
• and
• at least one medical institution physician computer positioned remote from the information management server and in communication with the information management server through the communication network and including memory and software stored in the memory adapted to provide access to the medication administration program product to allow a physician to display a medication order entry form, so that the physician can create an electronic medication order to thereby provide data to an associated medication profile record and an associated electronic medication administration record.

A method to enhance pharmaceutical order entry by medical personnel within a medical institution, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a graphical user interface medication order template having database entry fields displayed on a video display device to allow medication order entry by a physician at a location remote from a medical institution pharmacy, the medication order template adapted to display clinical and non-clinical alerts;
• providing the physician an ability to override a clinical and non-clinical alert encountered during medication order entry and an entry field in the graphical user interface medication order template to input an override reason;
• updating a patient electronic medication administration record responsive to the medication order entry by the physician;
• providing a graphical user interface to display on a pharmacy clinical workstation the medication order entered by the physician, the graphical user interface displaying clinical and non-clinical alerts encountered by the physician along with overriding reasons posted with the alerts;
• and
• reviewing and verifying the medication order displayed on the pharmacy clinical workstation.

A method to enhance pharmaceutical medication order entry by medical personnel while simultaneously reducing medication order errors, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a structured computer-based electronic medication order form including medication route, dose, frequency, and duration;
• providing in the form default values for at least one of the route, dose, frequency, and duration;
• providing in the form access to dosing recommendations including at least one of the following:
• minimum and maximum dose, lifetime cumulative dosing, pediatric dosing, neonatal dosing, and geriatric dosing;
• and
• providing in the form at least one of the following:
• standard medication order sets, IV templates, and chemotherapy templates.

A method to enhance pharmaceutical medication order entry by medical personnel while simultaneously reducing medication order errors, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a graphical user interface database template having database entry fields displayed on a video display device to allow electronic medication order entry by a physician at a location remote from the pharmacy;
• displaying in the database template, tools to access default values for medication dosing, sets of medications frequently prescribed together, and default medication order templates, to thereby enhance medication order entry and reduce likelihood of medication order errors;
• and
• displaying in the database template, tools to access products available to treat a preselected disease condition with emphasis on drugs in a medical institution drug formulary.

A method to enhance pharmaceutical medication order management compliance, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a structured computer-based electronic medication order form including access to a master list of intervention codes grouped by code type to allow capture of interventions by physicians during computerized medication order entry, pharmacists during at least one of computerized medication order entry and computerized medication order verification, and nursing unit members during at least one of computerized medication order entry and medication administration, to thereby enhance non-compliance tracking;
• providing an alert during computerized physician medication order entry signaling an entry requiring an intervention event has been encountered and that an action is required to override the alert;
• providing automated intervention logging to capture details of the intervention event;
• and
• providing exception documentation for alert overrides to allow for enhanced management review.

A method to enhance pharmaceutical administration, the method comprising the steps of:

• displaying on a nursing unit video display device a nursing unit-level electronic medication administration screen;
• monitoring the nursing unit-level electronic medication administration screen for modified medication orders;
• and
• providing automated highlighting of modified medication orders on the nursing unit-level electronic medication administration screen.

A method to enhance pharmaceutical order entry and administration by medical personnel within a medical institution, the method comprising the steps of:

• displaying on a video device positioned at a nursing unit located remote from a medical institution pharmacy a graphical user interface including electronic medication administration record data to allow medication administration entry by an authorized nursing unit member;
• posting a medication administration for an emergency medical services medication order in the graphical user interface;
• and
• performing an automated creation of an electronic emergency medical services medication order responsive to posting the medication administration for the emergency medical services medication order.

A method to enhance pharmaceutical order entry and administration by medical personnel within a medical institution, the method comprising the steps of:

• displaying on a video device positioned at a nursing unit located remote from a medical institution pharmacy a graphical user interface including electronic medication administration record data to allow medication administration entry by an authorized medical institution member;
• posting a medication administration for an immunization medication order in the graphical user interface, responsive to immunization medication administration;
• and
• performing an automated creation of an electronic immunization medication order including an optional physician confirmation requirement within a preselected time interval responsive to posting the medication administration for the immunization medical order.

A method to enhance pharmaceutical order entry by medical personnel within a medical institution, the method comprising the steps of:

• displaying on a physician video display device a graphical user interface including a medication order template having entry fields to allow electronic medication order entry by a physician;
• displaying on the physician video display device at least one of a clinical and a non-clinical alert when encountered;
• responsive to the electronic medication order entry by the physician;
• and
• performing automated intervention logging, responsive to the physician overriding the alert.

A method to enhance pharmaceutical order entry and administration by medical personnel within a medical institution, the method comprising the steps of:

• displaying on a physician video display device a graphical user interface including a medication order template having entry fields to allow electronic medication order entry by a physician;
• displaying on the physician video display device at least one of a clinical and a non-clinical alert when encountered, responsive to the electronic medication order entry by the physician;
• providing an entry field in the graphical user interface to post a reason for the physician overriding a displayed alert;
• and
• displaying on a pharmacy clinical workstation video display device the medication order entered by the physician and any clinical and non-clinical alerts encountered by the physician along with overriding reasons posted by the physician with the alerts.

A computer readable medium that is readable by a computer to enhance pharmaceutical order entry by medical personnel within a medical institution, the computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operations:

• providing data to display on a physician video display device a graphical user interface including a medication order template having database entry fields to allow medication order entry by a physician;
• populating the medication order template with default values or applying a medication order ingredient template;
• providing in the medication order template access to tools for the physician to perform clinical and non-clinical checks;
• providing clinical and non-clinical alerts responsive to receipt of an entry in the medication order template of a medication order parameter violating a preselected rule;
• providing on the graphical user interface;
• an entry field providing the physician an ability to override the clinical or non-clinical alert;
• and
• updating a patient electronic medication administration record stored in the memory responsive to the medication order entry and the override by the physician.

A computer readable medium that is readable by a computer to enhance pharmaceutical order entry by medical personnel within a medical institution, the computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operations:

• receiving an electronic medication order entered by a physician, responsive to medication order entry by a physician;
• queuing in a pharmacist working queue the electronic medication order;
• providing data to display on a pharmacy clinical workstation video display device the electronic medication order entered by the physician and clinical and non-clinical alerts encountered by the physician along with override reasons posted by the physician;
• providing data to display on the pharmacy clinical workstation video display device, an entry field providing the pharmacist an ability to override the clinical or non-clinical alerts encountered during medication order review and verification and an entry field to input an override reason;
• performing intervention logging responsive to the pharmacist overriding the clinical or non-clinical alert;
• and
• processing the medication order responsive to the review and verification of the medication orders and the clinical and non-clinical checks of the medication orders.

A computer readable medium that is readable by a computer to enhance pharmaceutical order entry and administration by medical personnel within a medical institution, the computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operations:

• receiving a posting of a medication administration for an unscheduled medication order in a graphical user interface;
• performing an automated creation of an electronic medication order for the administered medication order responsive to posting the medication administration;
• and
• providing a special queue for a pharmacist to review and verify electronic medication orders created through posting a medication administration.

A computer readable medium that is readable by a computer to enhance patient medication management by medical personnel within a medical institution, the computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operations:

• determining if any of a plurality of medication orders for inpatient residents at a medical institution are about to expire within a preselected time period;
• providing automated stop notification to a computer associated with a physician responsible for a medication order scheduled to expire within the preselected time period;
• and
• providing a physician work queue requiring the notified physician to at least one of extend the medication order or confirm the medication order stop time.

A computer readable medium that is readable by a computer to enhance pharmaceutical order entry by medical personnel within a medical institution, the computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operations:

• providing data to display on a physician video display device a graphical user interface including a medication order template having entry fields to allow electronic medication order entry by a physician;
• providing data to display on the physician video display device at least one of a clinical and a non-clinical alert when encountered, responsive to the electronic medication order entry by the physician;
• and
• performing automated intervention logging responsive to the physician overriding the alert.

A computer readable medium that is readable by a computer to enhance pharmaceutical order entry and administration by medical personnel within a medical institution, the computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the following operations:

• providing data to display on a physician video display device a graphical user interface including a medication order template having entry fields to allow electronic medication order entry by a physician;
• providing data to display on the physician video display device at least one of a clinical and a non-clinical alert when encountered responsive to the electronic medication order entry by the physician;
• providing an entry field in the graphical user interface to post a reason for the physician overriding a displayed alert;
• and
• providing data to display on a pharmacy clinical workstation video display device the medication order entered by the physician and any clinical and non-clinical alerts encountered by the physician along with overriding reasons posted with the alerts.