Home Forums Discussions General Discussion AC v12 mandatory upgrade

I have read the notification about why this is going to happen, but when will v12 be actually available for general release (not beta) prior to the June 30 deadline? Will local host users be able to self upgrade their server and clients as with prior releases? Are the hardware and software requirements going to be the same as with v11.5?

Any info is appreciated.

I reached out to support, and was told BETA testing is tentatively projected to be completed at the end of March. When BETA testing is complete, an email will be sent out providing the v12 installer and database tuner links for self-upgrade.

(I agree, the message we are receiving within the software recommending and appointment for the upgrade is confusing, and apparently unnecessary. )

The beta is delayed due to issues with upstream testing of the NewCrop/SureScripts connections requiring fixes on their parts. Amazing Charts understands the critical aspects of this update and are working closely with these companies to get this out asap (and stably). Hang in!

Jon

What a shocking surprise! Issues with NewCrop/SureScripts...

Hanging in there and ready to test when available.

You guys may need to get accustomed to these mandator upgrades. AC back in the day was very generous in supporting very old installations of their software, especially back in the Bertman days. Today, however, supporting everything under the sun just isn't feasible.

JamesNT

So wait until end of May or first of June after all the "bugs" worked out. OK. I just hope there are no new bugs introduced. The last upgrade was not a very good experience.

Exactly. The team is working hard (overtime) to debug and coordinating with SureScripts and NewCrop for appropriate full testing of ECPS before beta. Looks like later this week for beta!

Volunteering for beta. I think AC needs more beta testing. There are many blind spots with in-house testing.

Version 11.5 has been an improvement. Looks like the big hurdle for 12 is the prescribing. Keeping the fingers crossed it goes well.

It appears V12.0 is now available for download on the client portal. Anybody make the jump yet?

I updated over the weekend.
It went very smoothly and quickly. Even the server updated in less than 10 minutes and the tuner was about 5 minutes.
Prior version 11 updates have had glitches for one thing or another but no computer had an issue
The med database needs to be updated either individually or in bulk but best practice was listed as individual and it is NON reversible per their instructions. I'll just do individual for now and possibly bulk as we get to the end of June when they must be upgraded

Nice job. Do you know since you have to change all the medications over if it is using another database instead of SureScripts?

You kinda made it sound like changing the medication over either one by one or in bulk was not a big deal. Everything I have heard about it sounded like it was going to be a royal PITA. Like when we had to codify everything, but actually worse.

AC is now using FirstDataBank med database (which is required for if/when we eventually go straight to SureScripts).

Overall everything was smooth. I had one patient where I had put in the sig and went to send but it said no sig, then no pharmacy but other than that one patient everything was uneventful. I really like having the pharmacy on the final page and having the ability to change it there. It seems to be picking the last used pharmacy, something that wasn't consistent enough to count on.

Well if the pharmacy can be seen and changed on the last page, then it is worth all the hassle. I have been pushing for that for months.

Nice to hear someone has taken the plunge. If you have upgraded to v12, please continue this thread and tell us your experience good or bad.

Thank you, Wendell365! I appreciate your valuable feedback of V12. Anyone has done this, please share your experiences!

planning on this weekend to go to Version 12...........

I have a very large database and medication migration needed technical support. If there are comments (like Medicine refilled---matched---NewCrop--) and the character length is long, you cannot send the prescription electronically. There is no way to see or remove those comments (at least on the version 12 Beta that I was given). We have had random crashes a well, not many but do happen. Other than the change in med data base, for us, there is not much improvement in the features that we use. I suggest waiting for those bugs to be fixed.

I did not get to the office this weekend to do the V12 beta transfer. I am shooting for Tuesday night.

Naeem, interesting about the comments in the prescribing. I have had several where NewCrop is not allowing me to send in a prescription because the comments are too long. I have found that the comments will be something along the lines of the 'new crop matched approved refill, blah blah blah'. This is a string of things in the prescription comment. When I get these because the comments are too long, I have to open the pt chart, go to the Current Medications box, open this box, open the medication that is not sending, delete the comments in the Additional Comments/Reason block, and then Save Changes. Then go back to the chart and send the medication as a refill.

Just so happens I pulled up a chart and looked at the meds while typing this and this is an example of the med comments:

"Approved electronic renewal request sent to NewCrop. Renewal matched to famotidine 40 mg oral tablet. Approved electronic renewal request sent to NewCrop. Renewal matched to famotidine 40 mg oral tablet."

Next Med: "Approved electronic renewal request sent to NewCrop. Renewal matched to FLUoxetine 20 mg oral capsule. Approved electronic renewal request sent to NewCrop. Renewal matched to FLUoxetine 20 mg oral capsule."

I was hoping V12 would automatically wipe out all of these messages but I guess not. Maybe Jon can help us out here and get AC- Tec/Support/Developemnt to look at it.

Agree noticed same newcrop message clogging up the comment field with no easy way to see/ remove it other than summary current med list.

We can't be the only ones, why aren't these problems fixed proactively?

Also anyone notice odd prescribing unhandled errors and delays since transition stared away from Newcrop? Something is amiss.

seems to be slower, I haven't noticed too many other issues that haven't been there for awhile

Are the pharmacy requests ever going to allow sending in controlled substances? Seems if I don't deny and use the drop-down "medication prescribed by other means" and then go to the chart and send it, it just stays in my queue. Then sometimes we get a call asking "why did you deny my med?"
Also is the plan to eventually have SureScripts do all of the pharmacy procedures? Glad to be getting rid of NewCrap.

Took the plunge. They want to charge quite a bit to do this upgrade but if you have done other upgrades it is pretty similar.
The difference is with the drug database. They recommend doing in on a patient by patient basis, similar to codifying.
That makes prescription writing take more time if you are writing scripts with the patient in the room.
My suggestion would be to go to the refill page and do any needed migrations prior to seeing the patient or any time you have to reply to a message about the patient or sign off an imported item.
One migrations are done for a particular patient it does not have to be done again.
Have to be VERY careful because there are many similar variations of the same medication.
For some items no match is found and they cannot be e-prescribed.
Like the option to change the pharmacy on the TRANSMIT page (instead of saying "oops" and having to go back to change the pharmacy on the prior page) as well as seeing the pharmacy address on the TRANSMIT page.
Also notes written on the prescriptions are showing up in the message again.
Otherwise so far so good.

I found that I have to do requested controlled scripts on one day and then do the denial, "sent by other means", on the next day.
Otherwise it seems they cannot get it sorted out and patients are told the script was denied.
It is a pain in the ...

That was a big problem and the scripts could not be sent.
Had to Archive it and write a whole new prescription.
Now on V12 so will see if that still happens.

AC charges to do an upgrade? I thought if you pay for annual maintenance there is no upgrade charge. Could you clarify?

AC has been charging for upgrades if you do not try for yourself. I have not heard what the cost will be for this upgrade or if there will be a cost so hopefully doctheo88 and say more to the price. I know in the past if you attempted the upgrade and something went wrong then tech would help without charge. I was going to try the upgrade myself on Tuesday bit things did not work out. I will be doing it this weekend and hope I don't have problems before the Monday Morning rush. I was trying to find a day without a lot going on but just hasn't happened.

I think the big thing is the changing of the meds. It would be time consuming for AC support, thus the reason for a charge. It will be time consuming for us as well but I feel the thinking from AC is we know the meds and can fix/match things as they appear.

There was a notice that if the upgrade is done by AC there would be a charge that would be determined by the number of computers that would need the upgrade. I decided to participate in Beta testing to have the charges waved. However after a problem with our server on the initial attempt during the day I ended up upgrading it myself on a Friday evening to avoid having AC unavailable for the amount of time needed. If you have done upgrades yourself prior to this you can probably do this upgrade. The only difference is having to deal with the medication mapping after the upgrade. Review the video they have PRIOR to doing the medication mapping.

This is a copy of the notice enclosed in an e-mail sent to me about the upgrade:

Note: Upgrade charges are waived when you are participating in the beta Program and participating in the Beta will ensure you are on version 12 before the June, 30th, 2024 deadline.
Any client using our hosted platform does not need to schedule an appointment, as they will be automatically upgraded before the deadline. If you are a hosted client, one of our technicians will be contacting you to confirm an upgrade date.

But who would need to have AC support install the program on their client computers? That is rather straightforward.

I think that means Bert is volunteering to help anyone upgrading client computers!

LOL.

I like these simple replies. They help me catch up with ChrisFNP and am now tied at 17. But he will reply to this and move ahead.

We did the upgrade on 5/14/24. Below is summary of our experience:

1. Upgrade itself was not bad and very typical.
2. After upgrade we faced with the need to map and migrate over 2500 Meds and allergiies from Lexi to First Data Bank.
3. We are doing it patient by patient but it adds over an hour to our everyday workflow for the patients scheduled for a given day.
4. And yes once the migration is done for one case it will not pop up anymore for other patients

5. Doing the upgrade now rather than waiting would save scrambling towards June 30, 2024 milestone date, if AC holds tight the deadline.
6. There is an AC video tutorial and a PDF file tutorial.

7. Even if AC does the upgrade for the server and the clients, not sure they will map thousands of meds and allergiesfor a clinic, that activity may still say with the clinic staff.

aramiz
Houston, TX

I will probably do the V12 update in a week or two. Do you do the drug database migration before the V12 upgrade or after?

Thank you!

You do it after the upgrade. However once you upgrade you cannot e-prescribe until you map medications for patients that need mapping. I have noted that not all medications or patients require mapping.

Observations after 1 week:
- It looks like it makes you map medications that are on the inactive listing.
- Some medications/supplies/glucometers etc. cannot be found in the new database and you have to select Free Text Medication.
- If you expand to full screen when mapping you can see the choices in the new database better. There may be subtle differences.
- Sometimes when I map then try to e-prescribe right after that the prescriptions do not show up on the message. For now my work around is to map, than re-select/go back to that patient/message again and do the prescriptions.

Other than that the main issue is the time it takes, therefore my suggestion if you have the time is to select the REFILL tab for patients on your daily schedule before you start seeing them and do the mapping beforehand. Awkward and frustrating being in the room with the patient with the mapping screen popping up when you are ready to prescribe.

So can't even write a new Rx in Ver 12 until mapping is done?

I believe you can send the dose and map it at that time.

Correct, but if you want to migrate all your meds before seeing patients (e.g., outside office hours), you can go to the Admin section, click the Tools menu, and then select Lexi-Data to First Data Bank conversion and get it done so you don't have to do it patient by patient.

[img]https://app.screencast.com/gRNDgp6IGvgJ6[/img]

I am sure that AC has communicated the answers to all of these good, critical questions in the email they sent to all of us, describing the mandatory upgrade and the process for migrating meds.

Right?

Maybe I missed that email.