Clients learn patience with computers

Sisters Drug Co. Pharmacist Jenny Murphy is thanking Sisters residents for their patience.

The pharmacy is converting to a new computer system which is expected to provide many advantages for customers - but will take some time to implement.

The problem for refill customers is that all of their prior information must be manually transcribed to the new system, Murphy said, a painstaking process that must be done with no errors.

With between 100 and 150 refills a day, the process is quite time-consuming, she said. Murphy says that 80-hour work weeks have become the norm at the pharmacy.

Information includes people's name, address, phone number, date of birth, doctor's name, number of refills and the prescription.

New prescriptions for emergency drugs for such things as pain or antibiotics take precedence over routine refills, and that further complicates things.

The old system was antiquated and needed to be replaced, Murphy said. Five new registers were purchased in April and the new computer system went "live" on May 21, she said.

Murphy said the conversion should be completed in the next couple of months and will then be much smoother and error free.

Murphy emphasizes that the new system will add some important benefits to customers, including: 24-hour, seven-day-a-week online refill prescriptions and electronic prescribing. The store will have a direct link with doctors, enabling medication orders to come directly from the doctor's office.

Doctors will be able to access patient drug information, eliminating time-consuming phone calls and ensuring more accuracy.

The pharmacy was purchased by the Pillbox Corporation two years ago, one of nine owned by the company to date.