Entering Charges/Credits

How do I use the "Charge/Credit Doses" form?
Miscellaneous charges
How do I enter a credit properly?

The "Charge/Credit Doses" form

Definitions:

Doses - The number of doses entered to charge/credit.

x Qty/Dose - The quantity/dose being dispensed *reflects the number in the Qty/Dose field of the order entry screen.

Qty - The total quantity you are currently charging for the item.

Total Qty - The total quantity that will be charged for the item (i.e. the quantity charged for the 08/07/2001 20:00 and 08/08/2001 08:00 doses + the current quantity of '2' being charged for the 08/08/2001 12:00 and 08/08/2001 16:00 doses).

Total Doses - The total Doses that will be charged for the item (i.e. 08/07/2001 20:00 and 08/08/2001 08:00,12:00,16:00).

Remember, the numbers on display for "Total Qty" and "Total Doses" already include the number of "Doses to Charge/Credit" that you have entered in the top box.  Therefore, when you change the number of "Doses to charge/credit", the "Totals" also change.

Miscellaneous Charges

A "Miscellaneous charge" box appears as an option near the bottom of the "Charge/Credit Doses" form. This box should be checked if you want to charge one or more "extra" doses (i.e., doses that are not already listed as scheduled doses). For example, this check box might be used to charge a "missing medication" dose, or to charge a "Stat" dose that is administered before the other scheduled doses. The program will automatically check the   "Miscellaneous charges" box for you when you enter charges for "Demand fill" orders, such as a PRN medications.  Orders without pre-scheduled doses can only be charged as "miscellaneous" in any case. 

By checking the "Miscellaneous charge" box, the charge will be entered into the database as a separate record with the specific transaction date you provide. (A default transaction date/time will appear when you check the Miscellaneous charge box). Therefore, entering a charge or credit in this manner does not alter the status of any listed scheduled doses.  Previously entered Miscellaneous charges do not appear on the list of scheduled doses for this form.

If, oth the other hand, the "Miscellaneous charge" box is NOT checked, the program assumes that the next scheduled doses (if any) that are not charged (i.e., marked as "No"), will be charged in sequence. This method would normally be used to charge for the initial starter doses when new scheduled orders are entered.

Entering credits

Credits are entered in the same manner as charges except:

1. The number of Doses must be preceded by a minus sign (e.g. "-3" means "credit 3 doses")
2. You must decide whether or not to enter the credit as a "Miscellaneous" credit.
   1. What you should do if the order is still active: (Refer to example image below) In most cases, if the order is still active and you want to credit doses that were not administered for some reason, the Miscellaneous charge feature should be used. By checking the "Miscellaneous charge" box, credits will be entered into the database as separate records with a specific transaction dates. (A default transaction date/time will appear when you check the Miscellaneous charge box). Therefore, if scheduled doses came back in the medication cart (or a scheduled IV solution is returned), the Miscellaneous credit transaction date would normally be today's date. If you know the dose was originally charged to an earlier date, you can backdate the credit transaction to that earlier date, if required by your financial system *.
   2. What you should do if the order is discontinued, or the patient is discharged: In most cases, if the order is no longer active and you want to credit returned doses, the Miscellanous charge feature should NOT be used. When the "Miscellaneous charge" box is NOT checked, credits are automatically applied to any future charges that have not yet been transmitted to your financial system. For example, "tomorrows" doses may still be marked as "charged" by an earlier fill-list or batch IV label print function.  These future charges would be preferentially reversed by entering credits in this manner. If no charges remain, any credit balance will be automatically picked up as a "miscellaneous" credit by this method. 

* Credit transaction dates should not precede their original corresponding charge transaction dates. If this occurs, credit records may be transmitted to your financial system before the corresponding charge records are transmitted. Since the receiving system may reject credits that exceed total charges, this could result in their rejecting of some of the credits.