Biomaterial Database

Workload measurement in long term care pharmacy. 1990

S Ruth, and D Eagleson, and A L Ilersich

Parkwood Hospital, London, Ontario.

This paper describes the implementation of the Canadian Hospital Pharmacy Workload Measurement System (CHPWMS) by the pharmacy department of a 475-bed long term care facility. The CHPWMS description of a computerized individual patient prescription service provided the basis for the implementation. Following an initial appraisal of similarities between chronic care pharmacy services and the services outlined by CHPWMS, a program was developed and evaluated with the assistance of a pharmacist consultant. During a four-month trial all measurable work was recorded in a process that separated reportable (CHPWMS-defined) activities from other work activities. Eighty percent of the department's workload was accountable as reportable units using standard times. Nonreportable workload was documented using actual times, and adapted standard times. Dispensing accounted for the largest proportion of workload (79%). Manufacturing was the most frequently performed nonreportable activity. Pharmacist workload supported the desired level of 50% nondispensing activities. The productivity index of available worked hours was 70%. The consistent pattern of the recording suggested staff commitment. The program has been used to justify and monitor staffing levels.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009864	Ontario	A province of Canada lying between the provinces of Manitoba and Quebec. Its capital is Toronto. It takes its name from Lake Ontario which is said to represent the Iroquois oniatariio, beautiful lake. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p892 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p391)
D010559	Personnel Management	Planning, organizing, and administering all activities related to personnel.	Client-Staff Ratio,Client Staff Ratio,Client-Staff Ratios,Management, Personnel,Ratio, Client-Staff,Ratios, Client-Staff
D010561	Personnel Staffing and Scheduling	The selection, appointing, and scheduling of personnel.	Staffing and Scheduling,Personnel Staffing,Work Schedule,Schedule, Work,Scheduling and Staffing,Staffing, Personnel,Work Schedules
D010607	Pharmacy Service, Hospital	Hospital department responsible for the receiving, storing, and distribution of pharmaceutical supplies.	Clinical Pharmacy Service,Hospital Pharmacy Service,Pharmacy Service, Clinical,Hospital Pharmaceutic Service,Hospital Pharmaceutical Service,Hospital Pharmacy Services,Pharmaceutic Service, Hospital,Pharmaceutical Service, Hospital,Service, Clinical Pharmacy,Service, Hospital Pharmaceutic,Service, Hospital Pharmaceutical,Service, Hospital Pharmacy,Clinical Pharmacy Services,Hospital Pharmaceutic Services,Hospital Pharmaceutical Services,Pharmaceutic Services, Hospital,Pharmaceutical Services, Hospital,Pharmacy Services, Clinical,Pharmacy Services, Hospital,Services, Clinical Pharmacy,Services, Hospital Pharmaceutic,Services, Hospital Pharmaceutical,Services, Hospital Pharmacy
D010865	Pilot Projects	Small-scale tests of methods and procedures to be used on a larger scale if the pilot study demonstrates that these methods and procedures can work.	Pilot Studies,Pilot Study,Pilot Project,Project, Pilot,Projects, Pilot,Studies, Pilot,Study, Pilot
D004282	Documentation	Systematic organization, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of specialized information, especially of a scientific or technical nature (From ALA Glossary of Library and Information Science, 1983). It often involves authenticating or validating information.	Documentations
D004526	Efficiency	Ratio of output to effort and or resources, or the ratio of effort and or resources produced to energy expended.	Productivity
D005568	Forms and Records Control	A management function in which standards and guidelines are developed for the development, maintenance, and handling of forms and records.	Records Control,Forms Control,Records Management,Controls, Records,Management, Records,Records Controls
D006745	Hospital Bed Capacity, 300 to 499	The number of beds from 300 to 499 which a hospital has been designed and constructed to contain. It may also refer to the number of beds set up and staffed for use.
D006763	Hospitals, Chronic Disease	Hospitals which provide care to patients with long-term illnesses.	Chronic Disease Hospitals,Hospitals, Tuberculosis,Sanitaria, Tuberculosis,Sanitoria, Tuberculosis,Chronic Disease Hospital,Hospital, Chronic Disease,Hospital, Tuberculosis,Sanitarias, Tuberculosis,Sanitorias, Tuberculosis,Tuberculosis Hospital,Tuberculosis Hospitals,Tuberculosis Sanitaria,Tuberculosis Sanitarias,Tuberculosis Sanitoria,Tuberculosis Sanitorias