title: [The application of new technologies to hospital pharmacy in Spain].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the degree of introduction of new technologies in the medication use process in pharmacy services in Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive study via a survey into the degree of introduction of computer systems for: management, computerized physician order entry (CPOE), automated unit dose drug dispensing, preparation of parenteral nutrition solutions, recording drug administration, pharmaceutical care and foreseen improvements. The survey was sent by electronic mail to the heads of the pharmacy services of 207 hospitals throughout Spain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Response index: 82 hospitals (38.6%). 29 hospitals (36.7%) have a modular management system, 24 (30.4%) an integrated one and 34 (44.9%) a modular-integrated one. CPOE is utilised in 17 (22.4%). According to the size of the hospital, between 17.9 and 26.7% of unit dose dispensing is done online with a management software; between 5.1 and 33.3% of unit dose dispensing is automated. Automation of unit dose dispensing centred in the pharmacy service varies between 10 and 33.3%. Between 13.2 and 35.7% of automated in-ward dispensing systems are utilised. Administration records are kept manually on a computerised sheet at 23 (31.5%) of the hospitals; at 4 (5.4%) on CPOE and 7 (9.5%) online on the integral management programme and 4 (5.4%) on specific nursing softwares. Sixty-three per cent foresee the implementation of improvements in the short to medium term.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The introduction of new technologies is being developed in Spain aiming to improve the safety and management of drugs, and there is a trend towards increasing their deployment in the near future. It is hoped that their fomentation could help to bring about process reengineering within pharmacy services in order to increase the time available for devotion to pharmaceutical care.
authors: Servicio de Farmacia, Grupo TECNO, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid. teresabermejo@telefonica.net
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Bermejo Vicedo
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Pérez Menéndez Conde
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: Alvarez
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: Codina
authors: Olga
authors: O
authors: Delgado
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: Herranz
authors: Francisco
authors: F
authors: Hidalgo Correas
authors: Isabel
authors: I
authors: Martín
authors: Julio
authors: J
authors: Martínez
authors: José
authors: J
authors: Luis Poveda
authors: María
authors: M
authors: Queralt Gorgas
authors: María
authors: M
authors: Sanjurjo Sáez
mesh_terms: D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D006801:Humans; D048088:Informatics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013030:Spain; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000458:organization & administration*