Pharmacy-nursing facsimile systems: set-up considerations and operational issues.
The use of facsimile (fax) machines for the electronic transmission of physician's orders from nursing areas to a hospital pharmacy has become increasingly popular. Although the uses and benefits of fax machines are straightforward in this practice setting, namely a significant decrease in order processing turn around time, the problems that may develop are often not described in the literature. This article describes some of the set-up concerns, operational problems, forms considerations, staff training, paper costs, equipment needs, transmission volume, and equipment maintenance involved with fax systems.
Gannon
P M
PM
Charlton Memorial Hospital, Fall River, MA.
D006745:Hospital Bed Capacity, 300 to 499; D006747:Hospital Communication Systems / Q000379:methods*; D015274:Interdepartmental Relations; D008404:Massachusetts; D009738:Nursing Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016636:Telefacsimile / Q000295:instrumentation*