Holidays

(Topic Last Updated On: 05/05/2010)

The Holidays menu item on the Administration menu launches the Holidays screen, which is used to enter any date on which your facility will be closed. Entered holiday dates make Methasoft aware of all dates on which the site will be closed so the system can adjust related functionality accordingly. For example, the Prepare Daily Pour and Dose Patient screens will take into account entered Holidays and adjust preparation and takeout schedules accordingly.

Field Descriptions

Date the Site will be Closed

This field is used for selecting the date on which a facility will be closed.

Reason for Closure

This field is used for entering a text description of the reason for closing, which is generally the name of a holiday or staff training event.

Grid Columns

Holiday Dates

This column displays each date the facility is scheduled to be closed as entered in the 'Date the Site will be Closed' field.

Holiday Description

This column displays the 'Reason for Closure' entered for each holiday date.

Procedures

How to Add a Holiday Date
1.) Click on New. 2.) Select the date your facility will be closed in the 'Date the Site will be Closed' field. 3.) Enter a description of the holiday, or reason for the closed date in the 'Reason for Closure' field. 4.) Click on Save.

How to Edit a Holiday Date
1.) Select the holiday date to be edited on the grid. 2.) Click on Edit. 3.) Make changes as needed to data in the detail section of the screen. 4.) Click on Save.

How to Delete a Holiday Date
1.) Select the holiday date to be deleted on the grid. 2.) Click on Delete. A 'Delete this Record?' application message will appear, confirming you want to delete the selected date. 3.) Click on Yes to delete the date or No to cancel the operation.

Considerations

By Default, Patients are Granted One Additional Takeout Prior to Each Holiday for Each Holiday Date

When a holiday date is in the system Methasoft knows and will grant an additional takeout dose to each patient prior to the holiday according to each patient's attendance schedule. For example, if a patient attends once per week on Monday, and a holiday is entered for a Monday, then when the patient is retrieved on the Dose Patient screen one week prior to the holiday date the system will display '7' takeout days to be dispensed instead of the usual '6'. Often facilities would rather the patient in this example receive '5' takeouts and come back one day early. Some facilities would give this patient '13' takeouts to bring the patient back on his regularly scheduled day of the week. Since holiday policies vary greatly among facilities, it's important to be aware of what Methasoft will do in regards to holidays, as well as the numerous override options provided on the Dose Patient screen. Many facilities handle holiday dosing one patient at a time, overriding data as needed on the Dose Patient screen to accommodate pre-holiday visits.

Holiday Takeout Eligibility Functionality

In Pharmacy Preferences - General Setup on the Preferences window, facilities can decide whether or not to use Methasoft's holiday takeout eligibility functionality. If this preference is turned on, then the system will rely on the 'Eligible for Holiday Takeouts' field on the Dosing Information screen to decide for each patient whether or not to disregard entered holiday dates. Additionally, the Holiday Takeouts Eligibility window is found on the Administration menu, and provides an additional interface for easily selecting patients as eligible or ineligible.

Takeout/Unit Dose Preparation Functionality Accounts for Holiday Dates and Holiday Takeout Eligibility

Methasoft's unit dose preparation functionality accounts and adjusts for entered holiday dates on the Prepare Daily Pour and Label Preparation screens, as well as on numerous preparation reports. Holiday Takeout Eligibility functionality is also recognized and adjusted for where applicable.