Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Review of TSP800 and Rx Writer in v6.1.2

I am probably a little behind but thought I would weigh in on the above.

First, my network is simple. SBS 2008 Standard, 8 WIN 7 Pro 64-bit and a myriad of printers. One of these is the TSP800. I do have the TSP800 II but I have not tested it with this version. After testing on two standalone machines, I installed v6.1.2 on all computers with the databases on the server.

I am happy to say that all 8 computers print perfectly to the TSP800. The prescription writer itself opens instantly as it did before the initial v6.

I would give the upgrade 5 stars instead of 4 1/2, since it still has the annoying bug of not remembering the check boxes next to the DEA# and License number. In fact, I still have my DEA# in the address field, which looks silly, but is a functional workaround so I don't continue to get calls from pharmacies when a controlled substance is on a script without a DEA#. They don't seem to have the same issue with my license number.

So, that is my review.

Guess I am too late to the party on this one. Oh well, just one more happy TSP user.

Bert (and other TSP 800 users),

Where did you buy your TSP 800? Is there a certain model you recommend?

www.starmicronics.com

The TSP800 has always been the main stay. Now, they have moved up to TSP800 II. I am trialing it, and the hardware doesn't seem any different. The software is a little easier to work with.

If you get one for an exam room, you will want the Rx model as it locks.

Also, since we know that the 800 works properly with AC, I would talk to them to make sure you can return the II if its driver doesn't work. My guess is it will, and they probably won't sell a legacy product anyway.

Bert, have you taken the TSP 800 II out of the box yet?

I did for 6.0.9, but it didn't work any better than the 800. So, now that the 800 is working, I haven't.

Star Micronics informed me today that if anyone wishes to purchase an Rx version (locked), it will need to be the 800II. So, they asked me to test it.

What? Do they think I stay at the office until midnight playing with computers?

If you don't need that 800 II, I'll take it.

Never happen. If I kept it, I would buy a few more. Would love to have one in each room. But, I don't think Star Micronics is going to give it to me forever. Unless they forget.

You can still get the Star TSP 800 from newegg.com --> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828154024

BTW, Bert is correct, 6.1.2 is amazing with the TSP finally fixed in New York as well as speed increases to patients that have a huge RX list.

Thanks stylnchris,

You know you would think Star Micronics would advertise more. Maybe after they have someone professional do their site and make it someone easy to find a driver.

I love how fast the star prints a Rx. BAM, it just blasts it right out in less than a second. amazing, totally amazing. I'm considering buying one for each room with the medicare M.U. incentive money that we get.

Honestly, Paper prescriptions in NYS are becoming obsolete, especially since NYS will give you a intensive for e-prescribing.

I can't wait until we can ERx C-II's. Maine won't let us yet.

Is it true that the TSP800 will only print 1 Rx at a time? How does it work if you need to print several. Do you have to open the Rx writer for each Rx?

It will print as many as you want. You can load Concerta 54 mg, get to the print driver window, check on how many you want, and it will print that many.

Or if you have 10 medications in your current medication list, and you click on Refill All, it will print all of those. So, no, you do not have to open the prescription writer.

As a side note: You wouldn't have to reopen the prescription writer anyway if it weren't changed after nine years so that it closes automatically. I know some people like that, but I absolutely hate it. That should be a preference.

Make sure you get the TSP800 II Rx and not just the 800.

Yeah, because we all know faxing or calling in Vicodin has less chance of diversion than ePrescribe. Everybody has the ability to ePrescribe from their house.

Even a tamper-proof script isn't as safe as an ePrescribed script.

The government and DEA cut off their noses to spite their face. It is much more efficient to ePrescribe than to print or write. The drug dealers are in Columbia now Brewer.

Next thing you know we will have to use tamper-proof scripts for all drugs for some groups of patients. Oh wait.....we do. Medicaid. God help us if a patient were to divert amoxicillin or change 1 tsp bid to 11 tsps bid. It used to happen all the time.

Ya it's bull$hit.
ERxing in the MOST secure method of prescribing. It's more secure than calling it in, and probably more secure than personally going down to the pharmacy saying "HI I'm Dr. Lauer and want to authorize a script for so-and-so."

True and ironic. Last Saturday I had a prescription for Concerta for 3 tablets. Knowing the mail would not get it there by Sunday, I drove through the snow to her pharmacy and had to WAIT for a pharmacist. I gave it to him and explained the situation.

The mom came in on Tuesday, and I said "Wow, did you know I actually hand delivered that script." And, she said, "Oh, I never picked that up. I didn't want to drive in the snow."

You are the king of preemptively releasing bad patients....are you telling me she has not yet received a discharge letter?

Oh, no, she was fine. It was just funny.

Does it cut each Rx as it prints, or do you get a long strip of Rx's that have to be separated?

It will cut each Rx as it prints.

The TSP 800 is truly amazing. It's actually a receipt printer. And it prints with thermal imprinting on the paper. there are almost no moving parts in the machine. There is no toner at all. It shoots the script out in less than 1 second. If you spool out 10 Rx's, it shoots them out like a machine gun. It cuts each one (or not if you set it not to cut).

The cool thing w/ the receipt printer, you can set it to do whatever your want basically. If you want to tear the paper off on the jagged cutting teeth (like a cash register receipt) you can do this. If you want it to partial-cut leaving the paper hanging by a thread, it can do this too. If you want it to slice it right off like a guillotine, it will do that. The TSP was the single best technological device I have purchased for my office in terms of return on investment versus time saved (which means $$$ saved). I have not hand written a C-II Rx in 2 years. I don't even have the ability to hand write a C-II any more. If AC goes down though.....I'm in trouble.

The device was NOT intuitive to set up, quite hard. Bert helped me some and I figured out the rest. But once it is set up, holy cow I swear you will wonder why you didn't buy one years earlier.

The thing that is really helpful about the TSP is that a lot of CII meds stay the same for a patient. I don't do as many narcotics (although some), but I have probably 250 patients on ADHD meds. Of those, probably 225 stay on the same dose. So, if I have a patient on 72 mgs of Concerta on Concerta 54 mgs and Concerta 18 mgs, I can click on one and set it to prescribe, click on the other and set it to prescribe, then print preview, set the print driver to 3 scripts and click OK. Within six seconds, you have six scripts. But, they are always identical so you don't forget to write ADHD. It automatically puts in 30 (thirty) and 0 (none) refills. Given that CII scripts must be hand carried on the tamper-proof paper, patients don't like to have to come all the way back, because the number wasn't written out or the diagnosis wasn't on the script.

We also have two pricey stamps from Staples that state, "Do not fill before January 1st" and "Do not fill before February 1st," which meets Maine law criteria. So we can give a three month's supply between the three month med reviews.

This not only saves a LOT of time but cuts down on errors.

PS We also make things more efficient by having our MAs or receptionist print out the scripts for the patients scheduled for med checks that day and put them unsigned on the patient's chart at the beginning of the day. This saves me a lot of time in the room as I do not have to print out the scripts and then walk down the hall to sign them. Plus it gives the patients more time to review the script for accuracy.

We have what we call the 50/50 rule that we tell patients (kind of jokingly but kind of not) that if they get to the pharmacy and the script is wrong, it is 50% our fault, but it is also 50% their fault as we ALWAYS ask them to check the script to see if it is correct including all of the requirements, e.g. diagnosis, written out amount, etc.

I like the 50-50 rule

Ever notice how it always seems to be the same patient that you screw it up on. Plus, it takes them forever to learn the 50-50 rule. Or, in their case, the 10-90 rule.

Sorry to be the 'Debbie downer' in this post but my TSP still does not work as it did till Ver 3.7. It prints lightly in a small font. It spits out two scripts: one blank and the other as stated above. The header still has my name in the first line and second. My LLC in the third. Then, no street address. City and State next. Phone and fax and then NPI. Still no street address!
My setup: Main/Server computer: Windows 7. TSP is attached to my computer which is an XP pro.

Zak, which EXACT version of AC are you using now?
There were MAJOR problems with the code in AC in version 6.0.9 for use of the TSP printer. It was still not fixed for some users of the TSP in 6.0.10.

However v6.1.2 seems to have resolved the TSP printer problems we were having.
Please let us know your current version of AC.

v6.1.2

I would be glad to remote into your computer to see if I can help.

First, go to your TSP. Turn it off. Press down on the sheet feeder (round button inside the inset). Turn on the TSP while holding it down and wait for it to feed out config. It will print out once, wait five seconds, then print out the rest. Cut in half, copy, scan and email to me.

(If you already know all this, I apologize). It may be helpful.

Bert, I will be glad to. Please send me your email address. I can send you a logmein invite whenever is good for you. Thank you so much for all your help.

Wednesday evening should be good. My email address should be in my profile. I like the drop down menu that pops up when you left click on the username. Profile is the first option. If it isn't there, let me know.