True/False: The dispense queue is an optional feature
True - its available to go, you just have to turn it on! Just a few easy tweaks to get it
... [Show More] going!
Suppose your hospital is using the Dispense Queue in its central pharmacy. You open the queue and find that you aren't seeing any dispenses to print. What might be wrong?
The default display is First Doses/Redispenses so switch it to view all; Or you might be looking at Cart Fills after all of them have been printed for that cart
Describe the purpose of the Dispense Preparation activity
Allows for documentation and checks during tech preparation process, tracking of NDCs and lots/exp dates of products
Describe the purpose of the Dispense Checking activity
Allows pharmacists to review completed preparations and document it's ready to go to the floor
Describe the purpose of the Dispense Tracking activity
Tracks and documents dispenses/doses as they leave the pharmacy and arrive on the floor
What is the "Dispense Queue" activity?
Allows your pharmacy staff to work off a real-time electronic work queue, printing labels for orders as you are ready to prepare them.
Define "Dispense Preparation" activity
Tracks whether a dispense has been prepared, when it was prepared, and who prepared it; this ensures that products being dispensed match the order; allows tracking of specific packages and lot numbers actually dispensed/used to prepare a dose
In Epic, how do you get to the "Dispense Tracking" activity?
Epic > Pharmacy > Dispense Tracking
Define "Dispense Status Dashboard" activity
An activity that displays an overview of the status of all dispenses for a unit or pharmacy; shows how long orders have been in process, status of the dose (label queued/printed/prepped/checked/etc)
Describe the steps to take to print labels from the Dispense Queue
Select dispense type (first doses/cart fills) --> filter orders by due time --> use buttons or column headers to sort --> select an order and then select similar dispenses --> click print selected labels
Describe how to locate dispense status and events (4 ways)
Order Report; Order Hx; MAR Message Window; Dispense Status Dashboard
How does the Dispense Queue activity change the dispensing workflow in a pharmacy?
Instead of printing labels in bulk for carts, you can print them off as you are going to make them, and organize them by due times/drug/type of medicine/etc
How does a technician use the Dispense Prep activity to document preparing a dose?
Print label from Dispense Queue > Scan the label in Dispense Prep > scan the NDC barcodes for each ingredient/diluent (can configure to require lots/exp dates to be entered) > take a picture (of ingredients) > [RPH mid-prep review] > prepare the drug > click Final Review and a RPh will get it in their queue to check
How do the dispensing tools benefit your pharmacy (4 main things)?
Fewer unnecessary dispenses; accurate expiration dates/times; efficiency; fewer lost/ruined labels
True/False: if enabled in a CRT, that cart populates the dispense queue
True
If you hospital uses the Dispense Queue, when do labels automatically print off?
They don't, they appear in the electronic queue and techs will print them off as they fill them (unless you have them set to print off automatically - ie STAT drugs)
What happens to labels that would have printed at the cart finalize time if your hospital uses Dispense queue?
These labels will appear in the Dispense queue at the finalize time
How do you navigate to the Dispense Queue?
Epic button arrow >> pharmacy >> dispense queue
What is the default view when you first open the Dispense Queue activity?
First Doses/Redispenses
In the Dispense Queue activity, what must you do in order to choose a cart fill?
Choose dispense type = Cart fills, then enter the name of the cart/batch you need to see
The Dispense Queue can be configured to include these 5 types of activities:
all medications that are scheduled for a specific cart/batch; all first doses for a particular dispense code; all manual Redispenses for a particular dispense code; STAT orders; IV and syringe orders (vs unit dose/TPN/bulk)
Why does the Dispense Queue minimize unnecessary dispenses?
discontinued orders are removed from the queue; modified orders update in real time
Why does the Dispense Queue allow for more accurate expiration dates/times?
Labels print right before they are prepared, so the expiration dates that Epic displays on the label are more accurate (expiration times are based on time of label print and stability of med)
Why does the Dispense Queue maximize efficiency?
Labels can be sorted electronically, before they are printed; techs can open the queue from any workstation whenever they're ready for more labels
Why does the Dispense Queue minimize lost/ruined labels?
Printing fewer labels at a time means fewer labels lost to printer jams and human error
How are expiration dates/times calculated for drugs?
based on time of label print and stability of med
Which function of the dispensing tools allows for tracking of specific packages and lot numbers that are actually dispensed/used to prepare a dose?
Dispense Preparation
Where in Epic do pharmacists complete mid-prep review for Dispense Prep?
Pharmacist Queue > Preparation Review tab
Where in Epic do pharmacists complete Final review for Dispense Prep? What is this called
Pharmacist Queue > Dispense Check; called "Dispense Check"
Which user primarily uses Dispense Queue?
Pharmacy tech
Which user primarily uses Dispense Preparation?
Pharmacy tech
Which user primarily uses Dispense Check?
Pharmacist
Which user primarily uses Dispense Tracking?
Pharmacy techs (sending) and nurses/unit clerks (receiving)
What are the steps a pharmacist takes to Check a Dispense?
Pharmacist Queue > Dispense Check tab > select the order/scan the barcode/manual entry using order number > review the details and images > Approve/request change/reject > scan next order (which documents your approval of this order) or click Complete Sign Off or print a Dispense Check label
What is contained in "Prep Info" during RPH Dispense check?
Details from the preparation of the dispense
What is contained in "Order Report" during RPH Dispense check?
Additional dispense and order information
During RPH Dispense check, if a pharmacist wants to reject the order, what options must they decide as well?
Indicate a reason; if a new dispense and label should be generated; if inventory should be returned
During Dispense Check, what happens when a pharmacist scans the next order label, after approving/requesting change/rejecting the previous order?
The previous order is documented as completed, without clicking Complete Sign Off
What does the Complete Sign Off function in Dispense Check do?
Documents all approved orders
True/False: The Dispense Tracking activity is intended to work on a public terminal
True
Describe the steps involved in tracking an individual dispense (sending a dose from pharmacy to floor)
Open Dispense Tracking > scan the barcode on each dose label (this adds it to the screen) > confirm doses are being sent to correct destination > indicate HOW the doses are being delivered (automatically marked as "sent")
In Dispense Tracking, how can you tell that Dispense Prep and Dispense Check are complete?
There are icons to indicate that each have been completed
Which step in Dispense Tracking does Epic record the doses as "sent" to the floor?
When you select the delivery method
What activity in Epic do nurses/unit clerks use to indicate a dose has arrived to their unit?
Dispense Tracking (to receive orders); can also be done on Rover
Describe the steps a nurse/unit clerk would take to document that a dose has arrived on their unit
Open Dispense Tracking (Receive Doses) > scan barcode > Receiving Unit field populates w/original destination (option to change) > click Receive to confirm
What do you do in Epic if you receive a dose in a different unit than the original destination that it was being sent to?
Change the Receiving Unit field (a warning will appear) and Epic tracks where the medication was actually received
What does it mean to track a dispense via containers?
If you are dispensing a number of doses at once to the same location, you can receive them in bulk via a container instead of each dose individually
Describe how to send multiple doses in Dispense Tracking using a container
Open Dispense Tracking > scan the Epic-generated barcode on the container > scan barcodes on each dose you're sending (they will appear nested under the container) > choose a delivery method > (automatically marked as "sent")
How do you print labels for Container Dispense Tracking?
Epic > Pharmacy > Print Container Labels
Which user primarily uses Dispense Tracking?
Pharmacy techs AND nurses/unit clerks that receive the doses
Which user primarily uses Dispense Status Dashboard?
Pharmacists (and maybe techs?)
How is the Order Report to view the status of a dispense accessed in Epic (3 ways)?
From Orders activity (click on the clipboard icon next to an order); from the MAR (click the name of an order); from the Medications activity (double-click the order)
Within the Order Report, how do you see what Dispense actions have occurred with this medication?
Scroll to Pharmacy Actions section > select Dispense > view the action summary, which will include dispense tracking and prep details
Within the Order Hx activity, how do you see what Dispense actions have occurred with this medication?
Click on Dispense line > details will be shown under a heading of Action Summary -- "Dispense Tracking Events"
Within the MAR Message window, how do you see what Dispense actions have occurred with this medication?
R Sidebar heading of "Recent dispensing events" [Show Less]