A computerized assisted pharmacy automatic stop order procedure.

Automatic stop orders, which still seem to plague many hospitals, can be instituted with the cooperation of the medical staff, legal counsel, nursing service, and administration. The use of a computerized assisted pharmacy system, described here, allows compliance with Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals' regulations and also prevents possible legal complications. By utilizing computer-generated reports, appropriate labels, and a drug order entry system for entering a discontinue/renewal time and date, compliance with established policies is possible.