Pharmacy Wait Time and Prescription Errors at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center Outpatient Pharmacy: A Study of Manpower and Customer Service Initiatives

摘要

A retrospective study was undertaken at the Eisenhower Army Medical Center to investigate the probable cause and possible solutions to increased waiting room time for patients and prescription errors. The study examined data from a 22-month period (January 2002 through October 2003) . Two multiple variant regression analyses were performed using average monthly pharmacy waiting room time and average monthly prescription errors as dependent variables and categories of personnel as independent variables. The results of both regression analyses presented strong evidence that the decrease in pharmacy staff over the 22-month period contributed to both the increase in waiting room time for patients and the increase in prescription errors. The correlations between the dependent and independent variables in the regression analyses were statistically significant. Finally, the paper compared and contrasted the bank teller concept, which is the current business practice used in the Eisenhower Pharmacy, and other concepts. The use of automation and a system that would mandate call-in prescription refills were the primary recommendations that resulted from the comparisons. These two methods will most likely allow the pharmacy to maintain acceptable wait time and produce acceptable levels of prescription errors despite fluctuations in personnel.