Electronic medication management systems and their impact on pharmacists work

Project description, aims and method

Project main description

An electronic medication management system (eMMS) covers the entire medication cycle in hospital; from prescribing by doctors and reviewing and dispensing by pharmacists, to administration by nurses. Many hospitals in Australia and overseas are implementing eMMS or have plans to do so. There is some quantitative research on how eMMS impact work practices of doctors, nurses and pharmacists. There is some research on what doctors and nurses think about eMMS, but no study has previously explored pharmacists’ experiences with eMMS and their perceptions of its impact on their work practices and care delivery.

Findings from this study will inform the design of a multi-site international research collaboration which aims to quantitatively investigate the impact of eMMS on pharmacists’ work practices using time and motion methodology.

Aims

To explore Australian hospital pharmacists’ experiences with, or expectations of, electronic medication management systems, and their perception of how these systems will, or have had an impact on work practices and care delivery.

Design and method

Hospital pharmacists will be interviewed. They will be asked about their experiences with, and expectations of, electronic medication management systems. Pharmacists who participate will go into the draw to win a Google Nexus tablet (or similar device, approx. value $300).