Epic - Dispensing

Here are some descriptions about what different terms in Dispensing mean.

Medication:

* Described by Generic name, strength, formulation
* Laura has a list to provide of every medication that could be in this list
* Someone will maintain a list of medications available at HUM as Excel doc. This list changes approx. every 6 months (deletions, additions, but not changing something that's already on the list).

Dose:

* Fill in a number and a unit: 50 mL
* Units can be
** mg
** microgram
** mg/mil
** microgram/mil
** microgram/hour
** mL
** grams
** international units
** million international unit

Frequency:

* a number and a period. Number is free-entry.
* period is a pick list containing:
** day
** week
** every 3 days
** every two weeks
* Most common: 1/day, 2/day, 3/day, 4/day

Time to be taken:

* Choice of Morning, evening, etc.
* Would need a free text option in case the doctor wanted to specify something else

Specify "only if required" - SOS and PRN (french and latin for when required)

* Not for chronic care
* Something for pain, or laxatives
* Often communicated by a checkbox

Duration

* Only in days
* One complication: If you're specifying one pill per week for 4 weeks, you need to put "28 days" which is a confusing way to communicate that

Amount dispensed

* the actual number of units of medication dispensed by the pharmacist
* the list of units will be a pick list with the following values
** tablet
** tube
** capsule
** bottle
** inhaler
** application
** patch
** sachet
** vial
** suppository

Provider

* This will be the person who wrote the prescription

An example:

Medication: Paracetamol 500mg tablet 
Dose: 1 gram 
Frequency: 4 times per day 
Time to be taken: not set 
Only if required: not set 
Duration: 7 days 
Amount Dispensed: 56 pills 
Provider: Dr Pierre Paul