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JON WIETHOLTER, PHARM.D., is Clinical Assistant Professor, West Virginia University, Morgantown, and Internal Medicine Clinical Pharmacist, Department of Pharmacy, Cabell Huntington Hospital, Huntington, WV; at the time of writing, Dr. Wietholter was Postgraduate Year 1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, Pitt County Memorial Hospital, Greenville, NC. SUSAN SITTERSON, B.S.PHARM., is Assistant Director of Support Services; and STEVEN ALLISON, PHARM.D., is Medication Safety Coordinator, Pitt County Memorial Hospital.

Address correspondence to Dr. Wietholter at the Department of Pharmacy, Cabell Huntington Hospital, 1340 Hal Greer Boulevard, Huntington, WV 25701(jwietholter{at}hsc.wvu.edu).

Purpose. The effect of computerized pre -scriber order entry (CPOE) on the efficiency of medication-order-processing time was evaluated. Methods. This study was conducted at a 761-bed, tertiary care hospital. A total of 2988 medication orders were collected and analyzed before (n = 1488) and after CPOE implementation (n = 1500). Data analyzed included the time the prescriber ordered the medication, the time the pharmacy received the order, and the time the order was completed by a pharmacist. Results. The mean order-processing time before CPOE implementation was 115 minutes from prescriber composition to pharmacist verification. After CPOE implementation, the mean order-processing time was reduced to 3 minutes (p < 0.0001). The time that an order was received by the pharmacy to the time it was verified by a pharmacist was reduced from 31 minutes before CPOE implementation to 3 minutes after CPOE implementation (p < 0.0001). The implementation of CPOE reduced the order-processing time (from order composition to verification) by 97%. Additionally, pharmacy-specific order-processing time (from order receipt in the pharmacy to pharmacist verification) was reduced by 90%. This reduction in order-processing time improves patient care by shortening the interval between physician prescribing and medication availability and may allow pharmacists to explore opportunities for enhanced clinical activities that will further positively impact patient care. Conclusion. CPOE implementation reduced the mean pharmacy order-processing time from composition to verification by 97%. After CPOE implementation, a new medication order was verified as appropriate by a pharmacist in three minutes, on average. Index terms: Computers; Hospitals; Medication orders; Pharmacists, hospital; Pharmacy, institutional, hospital; Physicians; Time studies