How do your pharmacists and tech comunicate to you about a sudden surge in usage or need for an oddball item? I have a notebook next to the ordering computer that anyone can use to comunicate to me but it does not get used like it should. Does any one have a formal system in place for comunicating things like "hey so-and-so is going through 24 diprivan a day" and so on...

City, State: community

Years as a Buyer: 2

Getting techs/pharmacists to let me know what we are using is really difficult. Those folks who are conscientious in other areas of their job are the ones I can count on to keep me posted.
Another thing that helps a lot is a printed daily report (run by IS) that has listed every drug charged out for the previous 24 hour period. It is sorted by drug so that I can tell at a glance how many Invanz vials were charged or how many APAP 325mg tabs based on Pyxis removals. Does that make sense?? While it may not be 100% accurate, it does give me a very good idea of what is being used.

No real system here, just rely on the Pharmacists to tell me any odd ball items. Other than that since i have a hand in filling the Omnicells' i see most other things.

Name of Facility: Arkansas Heart Hospital

Years as a Buyer: 5+

No real system here either, and communication seems to be something that is lacking in all pharmacies (glad to know its not just mine...). I have told them time and again that if they don't tell me, I can't order it. They've gotten better lately; a few times they didn't tell me and they ended up having to call around and it led to a real panic so now they're better. Seems like anything I do to improve communication (want book, notebooks, dry erase boards, etc.) just get ignored, but atleast I can say I tried!!

Name of Facility: CVMC

City, State: Teaching hospital - 270 beds

Years as a Buyer: 1

hehe oh yes I have the un-used dry erase board as well.

We use omnicell here and my boss already looks at the daily charge sheet for all doses charged, so I am going to have him start forwarding that report to me, to see if that helps.

My pharmacy has a problem with a general lack of comunication in all areas, not just ordering items.

City, State: community

Years as a Buyer: 2

Whew, I am glad this came up. Most of the times especially for Chemo drugs, the techs bring me tally of what was used. I can then order accordingly. Most of the time I get post-it notes on my desk and monitor screen that I have to sort through. There is no written communication as such.

Munira

Name of Facility: Kern Medical Center

City, State: Teaching Acute care Trauma II

Years as a Buyer: 4.5

I don't know how many of you were techs before moving up to buyer, but I would NEVER have thought about not letting my predecessors know about high use items or outs. I think a lot of us are buyers because we are detail oriented and very responsible people. I do hear about it when I'm on vacation, though, how frustrating it is for those who fill in to not be told about problems. Welcome to my world!!!

RuthJFN9

I was a tech before I was a buyer, but we did not have a buyer before me. It was a mess. we constantly had too much or not enough becuase everyone was ordering what they thought we should have. That does not work well.

I am making things up as I go honestly. I just keep learning from my mistakes and keep trying to improve all of our buying processes.

City, State: community

Years as a Buyer: 2

It sounds like we all have the same communication breakdown in the pharmacy. We have several tools we use to try and communicate but there is always some sort of breakdown. I am always telling the staff to "write it down" - don't tell me as I am passing by on my way to a meeting. I am also not afraid to ask the person responsible for entering/ and or filling the order why they didn't write it down for re-order. We remind the staff at morning report the importance of communicating. I am not a mind reader :)

It has improved!

Name of Facility: Renown Renown Regional Medical Center

City, State: Teaching/trauma Hospital 500+ beds

Years as a Buyer: 15

My DOP thinks pharmacy communication problems are b/c pharmacy attracts a certain kind of person, usually the absent minded professor type who have trouble remembering to communicate. I guess thats one way to look at it!!

I always tell people that my mind reading class is next semester so to please write it on the want book... its amazing how many people still just tell me in passing. I just returned a borrowed item to a doctors office today from May 16th because everyone assumed that I knew it needed to be done b/c I was in the pharmacy when they borrowed it.

I have the dry erase board, and I just added our monthly budget figures to that. Atleast when they claim ignorance I can point to it and remind them that the information is there, they just have to read it.

Name of Facility: CVMC

City, State: Teaching hospital - 270 beds

Years as a Buyer: 1

I'm not so sure about the absent-minded part. Most pharamcists will correct you on the angle of the needle point when you're making IV's - some go into THAT degree of minutia!
I think it's a matter of priorities. As long as the drug is there, it's off their radar. But when there are constant runs, OR more to the point, if it's a drug THEY need (ex.- the Chemo Pharmacist will be making their drugs for the outpatient clinic in the morning), you bet your butt he'll make sure you know about it!
It's just what THEY think is important!

Name of Facility: Summerdale Enterprises, Inc.

City, State: Publishing

Years as a Buyer: 30+