[Pharmwaste] Interest in pharm take-back inventory software application?

[Ed Gottlieb]

Hi Jeanie & All,

Though not required in New York, we will do our best to inventory what
comes in at our March 6th collection event.  Even with three pharmacists
there is concern that this process will be a bottle neck.  

Thanks to this list serve, Mr. Ko of Returnco has offered to let us use
his software and data base to speed up the inventory process.  This is a
test case for the use of his system for this application.  Mr. Ko told
me he hopes that his system will be able to help at many other
collection events.  Unlike the poison control data base, Returnco’s is
specifically geared to do inventory.

Similar to your primary goal, a staff member/volunteer will begin to
type in the name of the collected product and a list of possible
medications/dosages will appear to pick from.  Even better, if the
container has a bar code it can be scanned and be automatically logged. 
I have gotten two estimates that about ten percent of what comes in will
have a bar code.  

Returnco’s program will not be able to deliver your ideal of having
the application "link" entries that come from one event participant as
well as a link to other desired information (like survey questionnaire
results.)  This information would be great to have, especially for those
setting policy to decrease the over prescribing of medications. 

Ed Gottlieb
Pretreatment Coordinator
IAWTF
525 3rd Street
Ithaca, NY  14850
(607) 273-8381


>>> "Jaramillo, Jeanie" <Jeanie.Jaramillo at ttuhsc.edu> 1/13/2010 5:41 PM
>>>
Hi Everyone,

We conducted our first take-back event in September and had created a
basic Access database to inventory all collections.  It worked suitably,
but we are wanting to build upon that.  We are talking to a software
development vendor about developing an application that would interface
with Micromedex (includes an enormous database of medications).  We use
a similar application for our poison control charting.  The primary
desired feature is that a staff member/volunteer could begin to type in
the name of the collected product, then click on a button that would
bring up nearest matches within Micromedex.  This would allow the
selection of the appropriate product from a list of possibles and once
"clicked on" would complete the field with the full, properly spelled
name of the product.  In our poison application, the generic code for
the product (and the poisindex code) are both then "auto-populated". 
Ideally, the application would allow us to "link" entries that come from
one event participant as well as a link to other desired information
(like survey questionnaire results.)   I'm going to try to put a
screenshot of our Access database as I envision the new application
would work similarly, but with many features.  So, my question is this -
are there any products out there that any of you use for this already? 
And, would there be any interest in such a product from any of the rest
of you?

[cid:image001.jpg at 01CA946F.494834B0] 

Jeanie Jaramillo, PharmD
Managing Director, Texas Panhandle Poison Center
Assistant Professor, Texas Tech UHSC School of Pharmacy
1501 S. Coulter St.
Amarillo, TX 79106
P: (806) 354-1611
C: (806) 672-0833
F: (806) 354-1667
Cisco IP: 30412