Pharmacy information system for a health maintenance organization.

A computerized pharmacy system developed for a health maintenance organization (HMO) is described. The system has been operational for nearly three years. It is based on a coding scheme for (1) all drugs in the HMO formulary and (2) prescribing information. The information is processed by a computer which generates a variety of usage information. The system produces reports on frequency of drugs dispensed, number and percentage of patients obtaining each drug, and age-sex distribution of patients using a particular drug. The special characteristics of an HMO pharmacy as they relate to computerized systems are discussed. System requirements, maintenance procedures and cost estimates are also presented.