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AP Macros

Automatic pricing, combined with the metacharacter functionality, make Premvet 5 a particularly powerful tool. However, due to the sheer number of possible permutations it can become difficult to remember which codes perform which functions. The prospect of practice partners holing themselves up for six months with the unix box, and emerging muttering darkly about '..metacharacter tilde add underscore nought point seventy five...' may be too much to bear. Therefore you can define your own easy to remember keywords, or abbreviations, which will combine common AP codes for you - and these are called 'Macros'.

For example, the operation to castrate a cat is fairly common but involves a number of separate steps, each of which might have an AP code. You could use a 'Castrate Cat' macro to automatically record and charge all the steps to a client's clinical record. First you name the macro, and 'CC' seems a fairly obvious choice. Then you enter all the associated AP codes, e.g.: 

ga ; em ; sc1 ; ma ; asm ; yy2 ; casc
When you enter CC at the item prompt on a clinical record, Premvet 5 recognises you have entered a macro, looks up your definition of the macro, performs all the necessary automatic pricing functions and displays the following details on the client's card: 
26.03.97 Induction of Anaesthesia                               62.15   62 1C   
         ECG monitoring of anaesthesia                          62.15   62 1C   
         Surgery: Castration                                    62.15   70 1C   
         Morphine analgesia                                     62.15   62 1C   
         All surgical materials                                 62.15  200 1C   
         Antibiotic injection                                   62.15  254 1C   
         Fee to castrate KIM                    26.12           92.84   75 1C

Note: The above is an example only. AP codes are user definable, therefore where we have used the code 'ma' to handle the Morphine analgesia transaction line, this may not be the case in your practice.

Macros can also be used to save you having to remember the more obscure metacharacters. For example, to update the client animal's weight on a record card the metacharacter is ^7= . So to change an animal's weight to 12 kgs, for example, you would need to enter: 

^7= 12
It would be much better to set up a macro so that you could just enter: 
12 w
As 'w' for 'weight' is much easier to remember than '^7='.

Note: For the simple metacharacters like weight, it is easier to enter them on the Extra Line of the AP card. This saves having to have a macro setup at all.

The difference between using this option and setting up destock items is that:

TIP: It is a good idea to make the macro keyword length short. We would recommend that keywords with a length of three or shorter should be reserved for macros, leaving the longer codes for the main procedures and stock.

Some Sample macro's 

W     : 
         WGT^7=
SD    : Spay dog macro
         p1;paa:iva:ei:ma:em:rm:pox:isof1:x4:ssp:asm:so:qqq:sut:spad
CD    : Normal castrate dog
         p1:paa:iva:ei:em:rm:pox:ma:isof1:x4:ssp:sc1:asm:rrr:sut:casd
CD2   : Cast dog, abd testis
         p1:paa:iva:ei:em:pox:isof1:ma:x4:ssp:sc1:srta:asm:rrr:casd2
CC    : Normal cat castrate
         ga:em:sc1:ma:asm:yy2:casc
CC2   : Castrate cat, abdominal testis
         preop:ga:em:ma:ssp:sc1:srta:asm:postop:sut:yy3:casc2
CC3   : Castrate cat, inguinal testis
         preop:ga:em:ma:ssp:sc1:srti:asm:postop:sut:yy3:casc3
SCM   : Spay Cat Midline
         preop:ga:ei:em:ma:ssp:so:asm:sut:spacm
BITE  : 
         c1:amoi 0.5:ketoi:10 synt50 'bid
SCP   : Spay cat pregnant >2-3 weeks
         preop:ga:em:ei:ssp:so:asm:ma:sut:spacp
GAD1  : GA Dogs <15kg
         %d5:iva:ei:pox:rm:em:isof1:x1
GAD2  : GA Dogs 15-25kg
         %d5:iva:ei:pox:rm:em:isof2:x2
SED2  : 
         cbx:{}acpi:{}tbgi
ACTH  : Macro for ACTH stim test
         act]:xx2
LIPA  : Serum Lipase
         xz5: 9 vett:xx1
URIC  : Plasma Uric acid assay
         xz1:9 vett:xx1
PHARM : Explaining pharmacy legslation
         %p1:%p2:%p3:%p4:
ADVD  : Advised dental macro, text & sheet
         zx1:zx2
ADVF  : Adv re: flea control & sheet
         zx3:zx4
PAN-A : Panel A Vettest screening
         xx9:33 vett:xx1
PAN-B : Panel 'B' screening test
         xz9:48 vett:xx1
HAEM  : Vettest QBC Haematology
         xz8:9.5 vett:xx1
ELECS : Vettest electrolyte assay
         xz7:9 vett:xx1
REVAC : Revaccinating lapsed vaccinations
         %v1:%v2
A1    : All Vettest results normal
         %l11:%l12:%l13:%l14:%l15:%l16:%l17:%l18
DENSA : Dental sample pack
         %m1:%m2
ISOF1 : iso flurane pricing and narrative
         isoa:iso1:iso2:iso3:
CLIN  : Clinical examination prompt
         %y1:%y2:%y3:%y4:%y5:%y6:%y7:%y8:%y9:%y10:%y11
ISOF2 : Isoflurane dogs 15-25kg
         isob:iso1:iso2:iso3
ISOF3 : Iso for 25-35kg dogs
         isoc:iso1:iso2:iso3
ISOF4 : Iso for dogs >35kg
         isod:iso1:iso2:iso3
RODEN : Disclaimer for rodents
         rod1:rod2:rod3:rod4:rod5
PET?  : PET PLAN DENTAL QUERY
         %d78:%d62:%d63:%d64:%d65:%d66:%d67
VC4   : Primary course Incl Chlamydia
         cv2:cv3:cv4:cv5:cv6
I20BD : *' Inject 20mlbid
         *'Inject 20ml 2x day
CD10Y : Drontal annual supply for 10kg dog
         tdp 3*3'1 tab every 4m for tape and roundworm
PD50  : Drontal liq for puppies
         sdp50 *'1ml/kg every 2w from 2-12 then monthly
F8    : Feline Older Pet Screen
         feoe:bdm:buc:lf81:d1
PHSKM : Pet Health Scheme Kitten Male
         xphskm^2=242.0 ^2=1.1 ^2=33.10 ^2=5.12 ^2=34.18 ^2=241.20 ^2=6.30 ^2=32.42
PHSKF : Pet Health Scheme Kitten Female
         xphskf^2=242.0 ^2=1.1 ^2=33.10 ^2=5.12 ^2=35.18 ^2=241.20 ^2=6.30 ^2=32.47

Metacharacters in Macros
 You can use any metacharacters you like when defining macros. In addition, the following metacharacters have been particularly designed for use with macros:

{} Translation

Use the {} brackets where you want additional user input once your macro has been called. For example, let's say you have the AP codes: con1, con2, con3, con4, con5. You know that whenever this macro is called, one of those AP codes will need to be used - but the precise code will depend on the situation. Therefore, you can enter con{ } in your macro definition. The user will then be prompted to enter a value whenever they use the macro.

These can also be used to great affect at the Extras prompt on an AP card.

This method of gaining additional user input is not restricted to selecting which code to use in a given situation. The { } brackets within a macro can signify any type of user input. They could be a request to enter a quantity: 

con1: {} amp250
Or even placeholders so the user can enter an additional AP code: 
con1: {} : amp250

Note: When a code is entered this way, i.e. at the prompt of a macro, no checks are made to see if the entered code is valid.

If you enter text within the brackets it will be used to prompt the user as to what input e.g.

con1: {How many Ampicilin 250} amp250
In this case the user will be asked a quantity.

Or in the con{} example you could use: 

con{Level of difficulty 1-5}

Some additional features:

The {}'s can also be used in the AP description to prompt for additional details e.g.

Code Description
IXF Ins.Date From {Start date of claim}
IXF2 Ins.Date End {End date of claim}
IXA Ins.Amount {Amount of claim}
IXC Ins.condition {Reason for Claim}
In the above examples, dealing with Insurance Claims, the user will be prompted with the text within the brackets and the answer will replace it.

? Select

When you enter the question mark (?) as the first character of an AP line, Premvet 5 displays a help list so you can choose which AP code you would like to enter. You can use the ? character within macros to offer the user a restricted choice of codes. Let's use our example from above: we have the codes con1, con2, con3, con4, con5. We know that if we enter con{ }, the user will be able to enter a number between 1-5. Instead, we enter con?. The user is now shown a selection box which contains all the codes which start with the three characters "con".

You may have a macro: 

	2 abc : 0 amp? : 0 drug
This will translate to: 
	2 x Code abc

Note: Zero quantities - The system will not allow you to enter a zero quantity to an AP line. Therefore if you enter '0' as a quantity in a macro, Premvet 5 will prompt the user for the number dispensed/used when the macro is called. That's why, in the example above, the macro asks how many of code 'drug'. If the user again enters a zero, the item will NOT be added to the clinical record.

Setting up macros


 You can enter as many as 1000 macros. Macros are set up and edited by means of two options on the AP utility menu:

Add a new macro
You are prompted for the macro name (this name can be the same as an existing keyword, but you will no longer be able to enter the other keyword on its own). You will then be asked to enter the line of AP codes and metacharacters the macro will shortcut.

Note: The macro does not have to include a keyword. You can have a macro to handle injection charges, credits, goods free of charge etc. However, when the macro is used, the line typed in has to include a keyword. 

Macro	 Description


C	 #
F	 $
I	 ~i (Assuming ~i has been set up)
IN	 |100
You can make the macro name up as required e.g.

To add a range of dosage instructions AQDE* ' Apply four times daily to eyes 

A 	Apply
QD	four times
E 	eye
TQDD* ' Take four times daily 
T 	Take
QD 	four times
D 	Daily
By using this scheme of macro naming it can become quite simple to name macros so that other users understand them.

Edit
To change an existing macro you should use the 'Edit' option. Enter the macro to change, and this will be displayed and you will be asked to re-enter the AP code line.

The 'List macro' option will list the available macros either on the screen or the printer.

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