How to Maintain Hospital Pharmacy Records
- 1). Determine which filing system is best for the pharmacy's records. Pharmacy records might be filed alphabetically by a patient's last name, or by a system of random numbers selected by a computer. A small hospital pharmacy could find the alphabetical system will suffice. Larger hospitals will need a numerical system because they have many patients with the same last name.
- 2). Implement a pharmacy management software package into day-to-day operation. There are several types of pharmacy software, from rudimentary systems that keep tabs on patients and their prescriptions to more advanced packages. EnterpriseRx Suite for Health Care Systems allows a pharmacy to accept electronic information in real time from doctors and their staff. A drug database lists all the drugs available in the pharmacy, with details about other drugs to increase patient safety.
- 3). Establish communication channels between doctors and pharmacy workers. Surgeons, pharmacy administrators and aides must work together to double-check the accuracy of both computerized and handwritten medical records. Pharmacy aides or other clerical help must ensure that files are stored in the proper location so that they can be located quickly in case of an emergency.
- 4). Advise staff on the proper handling of both paper and electronic medical information. Hospital pharmacy records must not be moved or taken out of the pharmacy without explicit instructions from the doctor or pharmacy supervisor. The whereabouts of records must be accounted for at all times.
- 5). Protect the confidentially of patient records. The details of a patient's prescription history should not be shared with anyone in the hospital, except referring doctors and medical personnel who have requested to see the documents and been given approval by the patient. There are several situations, however, that are not covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which took effect in 2003 and protects patients rights. Insurance companies can ask for a patient's information before issuing or paying on a policy. Government agencies might request pharmacy records to verify Worker's Compensation, Social Security Disability or Medicare claims.
- 6). Order files, color-coded tabs and other supplies as necessary. These items might come from the hospital office supply stockroom or from an office supply store, depending on the hospital's procedure.
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