Home Forums Discussions Feedback and Recommendations Med tracking

Am I correct that the prescription writer tracks the dates that meds were previously refilled but not the number? This would be important info mostly for scheduled meds.

Thanks

Bill, you are basically correct.
When you highlight a medication, the MOST RECENT refilled quantity is listed along with the MOST RECENT number of refills granted on that prescription.

The dates refilled gives you only that information, not how many number of tabs/refills were granted on those past refills.

If you need to track controlled substances, consider this:
Make an Excel file (I have one that I use and would be happy to email to you), and import that Excel file into those charts that you are tracking refills. Each time you write the controlled substance, you can either go to the Rx Writer and enter as a refill or go to your Imported Files tab and enter it there.

I find it very quick and painless to use the Excel files because you can simply highlight the last refill information, copy then paste to the entry line below, enter the date, click save and you are done.

Message me if you want to see my Excel file, or email me.

Steve, That sounds like a good work around. I would love a copy of the excel file. send to waleesonatqwestofficedotnet.

Thanks

Bill

Steve,
I emailed that file to you.
Steve

Steve,

When you get a chance, could you send me a copy as well?

Thanks.

Steve

Ok Steve,
I'll send you one too.
Steve

That's a nice file Steve.

BTW, call me Steve, OK.

Adam,

Your solution sounds good. Can I Impose on you? Could you send me a copy of the file?
Tom

Has any one thought of putting together a disc of "helps" or "work arounds" for the ACUC? It's easy for me to ask....I have nothing to offer.

No prob Crestondoc,
I emailed it to you.
Enjoy, hope it helps.
Adam

While the excel file is nice, it is editable and therefore not a legal electronic record as far as i know.
A feature to keep track of meds, numbers, dates, prescriber, etc would be very welcome.

How would you like that to work, Rich? What would it look like?

Rich that is a major point. If we use an Excel spread sheet, we could call it up, amend it with todays data and then copy and paste it into the current progress note. That might give it some legitimacy. But it is obvious that will not be a permanent solution.

I suppose you could print it as a PDF.

You know, the same potential for fraudulence exists with a paper chart as well. The whole chart can be created or recreated out of whole cloth. Why are we being singled out for going electronic?

Once again, we are going to extraordinary lengths -- for who? For the patient? For our reference? For our colleagues? For medical science?

No -- for insurers and plaintiff's attorneys. We ought to be boiling mad that we have to bear this burden.

I guess I always knew this, but Martin crystallized it for me in a recent e-mail.

Brian,
Like in "Network" that Bert and I love so much....

"I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!!!"

Keep that fire in your belly. Sure the reflux doesn't always taste so good coming up, but it sure let's you know that you're alive and not just some zombie slave for your corporate masters. You're doing just fine my friend. It's like waking up from the Matrix now isn't it...

Never give up, never give in, and NEVER forget,

Have a great holiday weekend my friends, "And let's be safe out there...."

Paul

Rich, I think you have a valid point, however we are only talking about a flowsheet to keep track of medication refills. I personally don't think it has to be a official "legal" part of the record does it? I mean if we really had to go to court over the exact time that a narcotic or scheduled medication was refilled, I would have my atty subpoena the records from the pharmacy itself.

Yes but Adam which pharmacy and just how many different pharmacys is your patient using and shopping. Are they doc shopping. I think it is interesting that the one feature we all really need from all this "E" Rx CCHIT is the one feature nobody seems to be interested in actually making and implimenting and that is allowing us, you guys real time access to what meds the patient is on and how many other Rx's does any one patient have where and written by who? Only the DEA and other enforcement folks have access to that and yet they seem to get mad at a good many docs who in good faith thing they understand what is up with the patient and who they are seeing and getting meds from, like only their office. And yet it is this type of real time information that you guys need to be able to be good gatekeepers concerning access to all these meds.

So instead of them all getting into your offices and your records what we really need is a way to tie together all pharmacy records with free and easy real time access for you to see and help track what your patients really are doing. Now that is what good tech could actually do for all of us. But does big Pharma really want tight controls on all of this? I'm straining to remember now, but just how much of their sales end up on the black market for abuse? I think it may be as high as 20-33% but I don't want to speak such slander out of hand. Does anyone know for sure? Anyway, I'm sure big Pharma wants good tight regulation of access to abusable drugs just about as much as the gun makers would like to see good effective gun control.... "A well regulated militia.... "

Paul,
We were talking about tracking what we prescribe. I don't know how this helps know which pharmacy the medication gets filled at?

I agree that the DEA is holding all the cards, yet they don't want to share their information. They want us to read minds and know who is taking what from whom.

But I don't really understand what benefit Big Pharma has to abusable drug going on the black market. Could you please explain?

Because if you guys had real time access to any patients full Rx history then you'd be able to see yours, any other docs and all the pharmacys they were filled at. We all know that abusers float around docs and pharmacys to avoid getting flagged. And how many patients have you had who have changes to their meds from the other docs they see and you don't get notes from the other doc nor does the patient remember to tell you either.

We could stop most of these drugs from getting out onto the streets at the main source if you folks could have real time access to that kind of data. That's data you could use. That's covered entity sharing of data that makes real sense and it could all be done without involving a single carrier.... God forbid we should cut them out of the stream and let you folks do what you were trained to do, manage and control all these things. And arm you with the tools and the data you really need to actually do it.

If you keep the cursor in the Plan section when you open the Rx writer, a copy of the Rx, including quantity and refills, gets placed in the plan section. If you do this consistently, it is pretty easy to review prescription under Past Encounters, by selecting Assessment and Plan only.