If you're not ready to invest thousands of dollars in an electronic medical records system, a desktop label writer may be just what the doctor ordered.
"This is a very cost-effective alternative for anyone who doesn't have an EMR system," said Dr. Stephanie Lucas, who equipped her two-physician Detroit practice with several Dymo Twin Turbo label makers at a cost of about $150 apiece.
"I have all my prescriptions on the attached software, so all I have to do to print a label is go to the list on my computer, click on the prescription, and it comes out of the machine," said Dr. Lucas, who puts one label into the patient's chart and gives a signed copy to the patient for the pharmacy. "Or I stick the label or labels on a sheet of paper and fax it to the pharmacy."
The internist and endocrinologist take an extra step to ensure that patients know what their medications are for. For example, in addition to printing "Statin 20 mg #90," the label also says "cholesterol med."
"Patients love it, and pharmacists appreciate being able to read the prescriptions without ever having to call and ask me what I wrote," said Dr. Lucas, whose bad handwriting in grammar school drew a few knuckle raps from a ruler-wielding teacher.
The labeling system also integrates with software programs like Outlook and Quickbooks to make individual labels. "It's nice because it has an optional mailing bar code to facilitate mailing," she added.
Pharmacists like being able to read the prescriptions without having to call and ask me what I wrote. DR. LUCAS