Home Forums Discussions Problems Albuterol a controlled substance

Has anyone else notice that you need to attest that Albuterol CFC inhaler is not a controlled substance before it will eRX it to the pharmacy??

I think because now it is attached with the spacer, so if you pick the albuterol CFC with spacer it will then go okay

Weird. I had to attest for Aggrenox as well. I hope not too many of these start showing up.

I just sent both of them. No issues at all. No attestation required.

I'v noticed this with several meds when writing refills from within the chart, but not when writing new prescriptions. It appears that the codification (Is that a real word? It must be since the spell checker has allowed it.) has mysteriously "disappeared" for some drugs which were previously codified in the database. This has happened several times when refilling fluticasone nasal spray from the current medication list. When attempting a refill from the current med list, the med is correctly spelled out complete with dosage, etc, but the entry is italicized and highlighted in yellow and a warning in red appears to the right stating "Free text items can NOT be sent electronically via Surescripts..." If I then begin to re-type the entry, it shows up in the drop down list and appears to be properly codified. There is a bug in the drug database. I've submitted this as a bug to AC, but it would be nice for someone from AC to address it here.

While we're discussing problems with codification in the medication database, the version change log for 6.3.2 at http://amazingcharts.com/support/i-want-to-help-myself/version-change-log/ had indicated "Added codified supplies to medications database." Has anyone had success finding codified glucose meter strips?

As I noted in a previous post, the medication database includes choices for various glucose meters, including five differently-colored One-Touch Ultra Mini meters (black, blue, green, pink, purple), but no glucose test strips can be found for any of the various One-Touch, Accuchek or Glucometer meters.

Also, there are over 100 entries for Pampers--likewise, for Huggies and Attends--but still no glucose meter strips!

Once again, AC needs to address this. Hopefully someone form AC is reading these posts and will address the concerns here.

The lost codification occurs when the name of a drug occurs (however minor) - what used to be properly codified Proair HFA has for instance changed - now if you go to refill old one and just highlight the codified appearing one on the med list and redo it then it looks italicized on the right, unfortunately you cannot then hit a button to codify. You can go ahead and hit e prescribe and attest or delete it and retype as new scrip which will be codified.

Yes, I have also found that when I refill certain prescriptions that were codified, they are no longer recognized as codified after refilling them. Very irritating, if codification is important, then they should be more careful with the medication database to prevent this problem.

As regards to tests strip, I have not been able to find the tests strips by themselves. Lots of meters and kits but no strips by themselves!!!

Greg

I have talked with AC this morning with a lengthy list of blood glucose test strips and have asked them to look into how to find them - when I get the information back from their programmer I will post a new thread. I have found some - gave a list of Accucheck, One Touch, Freestyle, Bayer and True track with all their iterations to the programmer and will see what they can do.

Thanks, Steven, for speaking with AC directly. I have reported the meter strip issue as a "bug" as far back as June, but that apparently did not get anyone's attention. There may need to be a certain threshold of reports/calls/complaints to get noticed. With all the efforts at V7, are they dropping the ball on the basics in V6?

The codified strips are an issue that it is based on their database. They had added a number of diabetic machines, lancets, etc - one of the lead programmers is going to look and see what can be done. I asked him to give me info on how to find supplies in codified db and maybe some are there but hard to find. Will post any info they give me.

I personally hate codified diabetic supplies anyway as a scrip is never enough and I have an order template that has strips, lancets, when last seen, diagnoses, insulin or not and other information so I do not have to do another form. I understand why people want it and will see what AC can do for us.

Steven:

Did the person to whom you spoke at AC provide any feedback as far as to why there are so many "useless" device entries such as the five differently-colored One-Touch Ultra Mini meters and hundreds of Pampers, Huggies and Attends cluttering up the data base? It seems to me that someone at Surescripts or AC decided (without much thought) to download a list of devices and supplies and to codify them rather than to think about what providers in the various specialties really need.

Unless the Peds and FPs are prescribing diapers and the FPs and IMs are prescribing Attends, we can really do without them. Which brings me to another thought ...

Is there any way for each of us to customize the database to have our own "preferred" list of a hundred to a couple hundred meds/dosages/devices as a smaller subset for "everyday" use alongside the database in its entirety to have available for those occasions when someone needs that rarely used drug or supply?

This is one of those I definitely know what I am talking about, but I really don't know for sure what I am talking about.

There are certain databases, which AC uses. They haven't always. And, with access, you could edit 'till your heart's content. In fact, Brian made one and I made another complete database that people actually exchanged for the AC one. I still keep it. Took two months to make it.

But, the ICD-9 codes and CPT codes are licensed and you can't change them. Well, not without going into the SQL database and even then...

The meds are a complete database, which I doubt AC had anything to do with. Surescripts likely has the complete ownership. Not sure if it is actually their database. It would be nice to take out meds we don't use, just like it would be nice to have "Fall" come up as "Fall" instead of Fell from a train and killed an employee. The ICD-9 codes are worse than the medications. At least AC remembers the medications.

Does anyone else get numerous bogus faxes from "medical suppliers" who have gotten someone's name as a diabetic, then faxed a request for "diabetic supplies" they expect me to sign without checking to see if it is real?

There is so much fraud in the DME business, that I refuse to refill any diabetic supplies or prescribe any equipment without the patient sitting in front of me in the office telling me that is exactly where he/she wants the prescription sent.

And it is virtually impossible to "codify" this stuff. I just write out Rx and give it to the patient to do with it what they will.

I am really frustrated by
1. the slowness of ERx
2. the obtuseness of the database
3. the inability after all these years of being able to ERx controlled substances -- not even cough syrup!!

I think the EMR might eventually prove to be useful, but it sure is taking a long time.

Hi Tom,

I know how you feel. I do have some questions, though so I can understand better.

Is eRx at different speeds on different computers. Our ePrescribe is extremely fast depending on what you would consider fast.

Why do you write out the prescription? Can't you print it out on a sheet of paper?

I agree that one of the stupidest things in medicine is not being able to eRx a scheduled drug. Why can't one eRx Fentanyl? Or Oxycontin?

I wouldn't blame it on the EMR. It would be SureScripts, New Crop and the federal government.

I agree with some of the above, but if you are not concerned with meaningful use then turn off interaction checking and erx will be faster. Otherwise I don't think erx is slow at all. I do refills and it is so much easier to match and then fill compared to opening each pt chart and finding the med and sending when using paper, the obtuseness unfortunately is always going to be a problem as a few meds are just difficult - the issue with losing coding is because in 2011 drug may be called Proair HFA with adapter, in 2012 it is now Proair HFA with adapter/spacer making the old no longer codified - I agree it would be great if it would auto change, but not a big issue.

For diabetic supplies and wheelchairs, etc I use an ORDER, which I have templated with all the standard information - glucose check = frequency, reason, all the information recorded on a Liberty medical sheet for instance. In that case I just go to orders, right click on blank and choose GLUCOMETER TEST STRIPS 1 X DAILY and it fills in, then I add date last seen - Print to Fax and choose pharmacy which has my signature on it. Done.