Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Printers!

Hey guys, I just purchased AC last month before the price bump. Looking to be up and running in Feb..as long as the office lease goes through.

So what do you recommend for printers? I want two, one for general printing and one for controlled. I want them to be networked as well. The general printer can be an all-in-one as well as I'm sure a scanner will come in handy.

One has to be a baasic HP laserjet 2050 it is a reliable workhorse!

I'd suggest getting a MFC, which will allow you to network print, fax & scan. I'm using the Brother 8990DW.

Does it scan to pdf?

No, TIFF

(keep in mind I'm using some capitolized words, not because I'm screaming at you, but rather because I am sooooo excited about the Star TSP800 printer).

If you don't know Bert here on the message boards, you will. He is the A.C. master. Bert does everything about 3 years before I do, it's a running joke between us. But 3 years ago he got the Star Micronics TSP800 Rx printer. I never saw the point, boy was I WRONG!! I will swear to you that for writing scheduled Rx's, this is a MUST HAVE. I kick myself for not getting it 3 years earlier.

The paper is inexpensive compared to the tear off sheets that I used to handwrite on (about $100 for 12 rolls of over 500 Rx's). The TSP800 is a thermal printer, so NO INK REQUIRED and VERY LITTLE MOVING PARTS to break down. It's spits out a Rx literally in less than 1 SECOND. AND IT'S NETWORKED!!!!!

Also consider the TIME spent writing a Sched II Rx. By the time you write their name, date, drug, dose, instructions, quantity in numeric and words, then sign it (and possibly have to write your DEA number on it)....you just spent 10-15 seconds if not more. I have 45 pts in our practice on narcotics, another 10 on ADHD drugs. A few are on more than one Sched II, so conservative estimate is 75 hand written Rx's per month. This is at least 750 seconds per month, then add 10 more seconds to get on a computer and pull up the AC chart and make sure they are due, we are talking approx 25 minutes per month SAVED. Our hourly billable rate (not what we are reimbursed, but what we approximately bill out) is $300 per hour. Time saved is about $125 of my time (not what we save in overhead rather this is just the value of my time saved), and the Star cost about $400-500. So I estimate it paid for itself in about 3-4 months.

The other MAJOR TIME SAVER is that now my staff can print the Rx's and have them ready for me to sign. I would replace my Star TSP800 in a minute if it were to breakdown.

And, therein lies the problem. (the TIFF that is - Adam's and my posts crossed in cyberspace)

Furthermore Scott (by the way hi and how are you?) I didn't at first realize it was you whom I met in Bangor.
We are using the Muratec MFX1430 which is an all in one unit.
It would serve well as an intro level all in one, AND it forwards all incoming faxes to PDF as well scans to PDF.
So you don't have to mess around with file conversion in the same way as the Brother (sorry Brother fans, but I don't like the Brother). Muratec is your fax/scanner/copier/printer and would serve you well. It was our main work horse for 4 years.

We also have a dedicated printer that has faster page per min, the HP LaserJet 4250 which has put out over 200,000 sheets of paper in 4 years. Never once did it break down and we only had it professionally cleaned for the 1st time this year. The HP is networked as well. I love this printer, and w/ the duplex add-on, it prints our double sided encounter forms quite easily.

We are going to upgrade the Muratec to a faster machine, mainly because we can afford it and the Muratec is old and our local office supply company stopped servicing Muratecs. We are going to soon get the all in one Toshiba 255, which shares all the features of the Muratec but is much faster scanning and printing and copying.

Good luck buddy!

The issue with the Brother is the price point of printers or MFP.

You have the very inexpensive MFPs you get at Staples.

Then you have the mid-expensive Muratecs (great MFP)

Then you have the Toshibas and the Xeroxes that are fairly pricey.

That is where the Brother comes in with networked MFPs from $400 to $800. It's just that little pdf issue. Yes, they give you Paperport which converts it, but.... it's too bad they don't fax to pdf. It can scan to pdf. Still a great MFP and great value.

Brother 8860dw works well, not sure about reliability though

Fukitsu 6130 is a must for scanner!

Agee on the scanner. Can't go with the Brother 8860dw or any other Brother.

HP has good duplex twain scanners for decent prices. One downside to many fujitsu scanners is lack of twain interface, although we have used one for years and it actually really does not slow you down once you get a routine. We are now using a hp, but I cannot remember the model here at home.

The Star TSP800 looks cool, but wouldn't it just be cheaper to get a laser printer with controlled paper for a laser printer in it?

BTW, do you have to get the TSP800Rx or will just the regular TSP800 work?

It depends on where you keep it. If you use it in the room, then you need the ability to lock it so patients can't walk off with the roll of paper. But, if you keep it up front where we do, then you don't need to pay the extra money.

I haven't done the cost analysis, but I can guarantee you that you will be happier with the TSP800, and your staff will be MUCH happier with TSP800. I can't be sure, but from what you are saying, the scenario you describe would require an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet with four scripts using perforation. Logistically, this is much more difficult to use. Plus, the paper, which you buy separately, is sold specifically for certain state requirements.

I think in the long run you will be glad you purchased the Star. I may be way off base, but if you are still in the Bangor area, you are welcome to see it "live" at Adam's or my place.

I thought Adam would mention this in his post, but he didn't so I will have to boast a little:

Believe it or not, I am being featured in an article written by Star Micronics. I know it's not the NEJM, but it's a start, lol.

HTH

By the way, I am still against clinics at Wal-Mart, but that is just my opinion.

I have a printer in my office, I see patients there to go over plans and I can just print out on plain 8x11" paper. I just sign and go. But I am an OB/GYN so not doing a lot of scripts!

Scott, the things Bert mentioned in his followup post are true.
The other logistical thing to consider besides the requirements for each state's controlled substance prescription paper, is whether you are going to print ALL rx's on this paper, or just the controlled.

For example, if you have one printer for multipurpose use. You will either have to get a good printer w/ option to print to at least two different trays (in one you keep plain white paper, in the other you keep controlled paper). Otherwise you will have to run out of the room, insert one page of controlled paper, then come back in the room to print it. This would be a true nightmare.

If cost is truly the biggest concern, just order some paper Rx's for Sched II, and hand write them for a while until your practice is off the ground and finances allow you to get the star. This is what I did for several years, hand-write them.

In retrospect, I would have saved myself hundreds of billable hours if I had purchased the star TSP800. I know our recommendation to buy the star would save you the same amount of time or more. It may not be part of the game plan right now, but keep it in mind for the short to medium ranged future. It's the best single investment we ever bought for our network (besides the server). That's no exaggeration.

I agree w/ Bert, you don't need the locking mechanism of the TSP800Rx. The plain 800 and the Rx800 are the same exact printer, but one has a feature to lock the paper in the machine. Frankly if someone is going to steel a huge roll of paper, they might as well just unplug the Star and walk out of the room w/ the whole entire printer. We keep ours out front by the other printer and obviates the need for the more expensive TSP800Rx.

Good luck!

This may get confusing, but here goes. Before January 2009, we had printers in each room. So the choices were print the script there (which we did most often) or fax it from the client, which we did a lot. We used the TSP800 for controlled substances. So:

- Print from HP1020 ($80.00) for most scripts in the office
- Fax to pharmacy for patient convenience or when we wanted Wal-Mart to call and yell at us. They don't have real fax machines.
- Print to the controlled substance, tamper-proof paper on the TSP800 for Concerta and Oxycodone, etc.

Then, along came the government. Because they know so much about medicine and prescriptions. In January 2009 the law that you could not print scripts or write on normal script pads for Medicaid patients went into effect. Apparently, they were changing Amoxicillin 250 mg/5mL to 400 mg/5mL so they could sell the extra 300 mg on the street. There is a huge market for Amoxicillin. So, now it became:

- Print scripts in the room for self-pay or privately insured but not for Medicaid.
- Fax scripts for anyone.
- Print to TSP800 for controlled substance.
- Print to TSP800 for any Medicaid prescriptions where they needed to hand carry a script.

Of course, this makes no sense since most doctors don't have printers for tamper-proof scripts, therefore, he or she have to walk around with a tamper-proof script pad. Back in the day that I actually carried a script pad around, I would leave them unattended by mistake in a room, on a desk wherever. Much safer!

Now, of course with ePrescribe we:

ePrescribe almost EVERYTHING
If a patient wants to hand carry the script, we print it off
If Medicaid patients wish to hand carry the script, we print it to the TSP800.

Of course, there are times when we sign and fax things directly to the pharmacy with a signature.

Of course, one day (actually already possible I believe) you can send everything ePrescribe including Schedule II, etc. But, the whole Something you own, something you know, something you are is ridiculous. I thought it was Something borrowed, something blue, something old and something new.

I am running AC and am totally paperless. for my print outs I am using a very cheap HP P1102W which is a laser printer. I print out my PT scripts, mri requests, ct requests on here.

For my all in one, I use the EPSON Workforce 600. Both are networked.

Easy to use. They are both cheap. I started a solo practie and haven't paid myself in 16 months so i am still doing it the cheap way!!!

Why are Micronics TSP800 Rx printer better for scheduled meds? does it use special paper? Sorry i have to ask because i don't use scheduled meds. though i have rx'ed vicodin and percocet a coupel times and printedon the regular printer without an issue.

We use HP1020s in each room for printing most everything. The front desk has a few printers to choose from. Not sure why you print to the HP when you already have an EPSON.

I don't know how you printed Percocet to regular paper. I know Jon says that regular paper will work, but all I see when I print something there is I can type the number (which is not necessary in Maine except with stimulants and amphetamines) and the *Zero* Our requirements say we have to use tamper-proof paper which has at least three rules on it including the word VOID showing if you copy it and the ability to scratch certain inks off it.

The TSP800 is the only printer out there I know of that can do what it does. The Zebras are great printers but very pricey. The best way to look at the TSP is to think in general terms. You could choose to print to any paper which is considered tamper-proof in your state, e.g. you could use an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of four scripts and print from a regular printer. The TSP prints to controlled substance scripts the same way only it prints in a ticket fashion so you have a roll of paper and one sheet prints at a time. This is much easier than printing to a sheet and tearing off one or two and then trying to use the others. Labels used to be printed in sheets and are now printed by Dymo printers, etc.

There are many ways to use and buy printers. Everyone has their own. I can't say that the Xerox is better than the Toshiba is better than HP, etc. But, I can say without reservation that if you print many Schedule II scripts and above (we printed over 30 today), the Star Micronics TSP800 printer is, by far, the way to go. It's not even close.

Ketan,
I would add emphasis that state requirements rule the decision making process when it comes to purchasing the Star TSP800. If I didn't write CII's, I would not own a Star. I would have no reason to own it. It doesn't sound like you need one.

The biggest feature is that a giant roll of CII paper is sitting inside it and hardly ever needs to be changed, it's very easy to change when the paper is out, the paper is cheaper than buying Rx's to hand-write the Rx's, and it prints so fast and easily it saves me very significant time per month. Our state won't allow CII's on plain white paper, it must be tamper proof.

So in my F.P. office where I have about 75 Rx's per month that I'm issuing for CII's, it's just simply a huge time saver/matter of convenience. The Star isn't for everyone, but if you write moderate to large volume of CII's the Star is easy to fall in love with.

The star is for everyone, lol.

I fell in love with a girl named Star once. Relationship lasted about seven days. About three times longer than usual. I wonder why? Probably because of posts like these.