If you are willing to accept some advice from down under, I'd like to
point out that the Australian Government tried numbering prescription forms
"for security" back in the 1950s. That sounded OK at the time, but soon
afterwards,
the same government started using the numbering system to allege that
doctors had not written their scripts in the order in which they were dated,
and that there were
fraudulent motives involved. As a result, no doctor here will write on a
numbered
form - about the only subject on which we all agree!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stephen Crawshaw  MB BS MSc
Townsville,  Australia.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-----Original Message-----
From: Ewan Davis <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sunday, February 22, 1998 6:34 PM
Subject: RE: Inkjet Printers


It is amazing difficult to find a suitable printer for printing FP10's in
the consultation. The main problems is finding a printer which allows the
scripts to printed and torn-off one-by-one. With most printer the distance
between the print head and the paper bail is such that if you advance the
perforation to the bail to tear it off the print head is below the start
position on the next form and winding the paper back looses traction with
the paper bail so the paper jams as the next script prints. We have found a
only a handful of printers which can do this. When you add the need for the
printer to quite, small, cheap, rugged, preferably pin tractor feed and also
capable of printing on standard stationary the list gets even smaller.

We are now seeing the bottom end of printer market dominated by low cost
inkjets with sheet feed only. Dot-matrix printers with tractor feed have
hung on because they remain the only technology that can print quickly and
easily on multi-part NCR forms. However, for small volume applications
software get round this by printing multiple copies and increasing the only
dot-matrix printers surviving are those designed for high volume use which
are very fast but too big, too noisy and too expensive. I can see us fast
reaching a point where it will no longer be practical to print scripts in
the consultation.

The answer is simple. That is make the FP10 available as singles on paper of
at least 60 micron weight, 210 mm wide (A4 width) the same length at the
FP10 plus enough empty space top and bottom to allow for the fact that many
printer have an unprintable area at the top and bottom of each page. The new
form should be perforated so that and leading and trailing space and the
right hand side can be torn off to leave a form of the same dimensions as
the current FP10 (which is very important for the PPA). There will be the
inevitable debate about who should be responsible for tearing off the
perforations (at 3 per form that's 1000 million) and what they should be
paid to do it. My answer is the patient or if the pharmacist collects the
script their staff.

I've been banging on about this for years, but all I get is polite smiles.
This option was suggest by the GP on the efficiency scrutiny Board, but has
not been picked up. There is a major reissue of the FP10 planned with serial
numbers and other anti-fraud measures. This would be an ideal time to look
at improving the form but my suggestions to this effect have been ignored.
I'm assured the changes they plan won't cause any practical problems with
printing (they checked this they say  !!!! but I've not had a single sample
to test or comment on, and I chair the suppliers trade association) My own
conviction is that not only will an opportunity have been missed but the new
forms will inevitably table cause problems.

The responsible official is Crisping Acton who lives at Richmond House,
Whitehall. I'm sure he love to hear from you all.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------
Ewan Davis
AAH Meditel - Voice +44 (1) 527 579414 Fax +44(1)527 837287
Email [log in to unmask] also at [log in to unmask]


-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 22 February 1998 05:24
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Inkjet Printers

EMIS works fine with the Canon Bubblejets - BJ300, and we have had excellent
service out of ours. Unfortunately in their wisdom, Canon have now stopped
producing these. As far as I am aware there is no continuous feed inkjet
available now - so it's back to dot-matrix! ........... unless someone knows
otherwise.

Paul Bromley




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