Home Forums Discussions Feedback and Recommendations dosing regimens violate "approved" abbreviations

In the hospital we are told time and time again that it is a violation of JCAHO regulations and in the best interest for patient safety to avoid certain abbreviations. I am sure you have all read about not using "qd", not using "qid", not writing "qod", and so forth. Despite all the trumpeting about the new features for patient safety and avoiding medication errors, I note that the quick script writer on this version 5 is using qd, qid, and qod. Just had a presentation with my office staff last week about how on the last version of Amazing Charts it was nice to see drop down lists for dosing regimens that used the proper terminology instead of these abbreviations. Now that seems to have vanished including many other features that made the current medication list so much easier to use.
My other concern, still, is that the simplicity of the current medication list as accessed via the current note appears to have vanished. I would hope that the functionality and simplicity of that software be re-established. Making quick changes in a medication list in patients that are on a multitude of medicines is absolutely essential in terms of getting through a busy clinic

I don't use the quick scrip writer- turn that off and it brings up a standard window to write instuctions. I do this so that if I want a list of meds for pt I can use letter writer to generate up to date med list with instructions.

It appears that after you type in instructions for a med such as Coreg 12.5 mg - 1 tab twice daily for HTN then the next time you bring up Coreg 12.5 it will autopopulate the instructions. I am not sure sure if that works on all the machines in your office as I have not expreimented. I find it easy to do this and prfer this over fill in the blanks.

If I am just correcting a med list that a pt. is taking and not writing a scrip for them I just double click the med window, quickly make corrections and move on. I use the scrip writer if I am going to write a scrip, not if a pt. has a med written by someone else.

I believe the change had to do with the eprescibing. If you free text in those fields, it won't transmit electronically. Looks like eprescibing is just behind in the times...only accepts outdated abbreviations, can't eprescribe controlled substances (even though any "joe shmoe" can call them in under your name and thats fine and all). Just one more broken cog in the nations plunge into electronic health care....when half of the nations health care rules and regulations are still stuck in the 1980's!! Guess I get the Mr Negativity award for the day

You can free text any text you want in the instructions or note to pharmacy and it will still e prescribe - if you do not pick a med off the codified list you can still send electronic, but will arrive there as fax from newcrop.

Hopefully the controlled substances can be fixed.