# Department Preferences

## Overview

**Department Preferences** allow individual departments to customize HMIS features without affecting other departments or the entire institution. Each department can configure settings specific to their workflows and operational needs.

**Key Concept:** Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, departments with different requirements (pharmacy, nursing, finance, etc.) can enable or disable features independently.

## Who Uses Department Preferences?

- **Department Heads/Administrators** — Configure preferences for their department
- **Department Staff** — Benefit from customized workflows configured by their department head
- **System Administrators** — Understand scope of department preferences vs. application-wide settings

## How Are They Different from Application-Wide Config?

| Aspect | Application Settings | Department Preferences |
|--------|----------------------|------------------------|
| **Scope** | Applies to entire institution | Applies only to one department |
| **Managed by** | System administrators (Admin privilege) | Department head/admin (Admin privilege) |
| **Access** | `/admin/application_configuration` | `/admin/department_preferences` |
| **Use Case** | Global rules, email gateways, system behavior | Department-specific workflows, feature toggles |

## Available Department Preferences

### Pharmacy Department

#### Allow Disposal Issue to Same Department

**Setting Key:** `Pharmacy - Allow Issue to Same Department`

**Default:** Disabled (false)

**What it does:** 
- When **enabled**, staff in a pharmacy can create disposal issues within their own department
- When **disabled** (default), staff can only create disposal issues to other departments

**Why use this?**
- Some departments need to internally track disposal/waste management
- Other departments prefer strict inter-departmental transfers for audit trails

**Related:** See [Pharmacy Disposal Issue — Same Department](Pharmacy-Disposal-Issue-Same-Department.md)

## Managing Department Preferences

See [Department Preferences — Administrator Guide](Department-Scoped-Preferences-Administrator-Guide.md) for step-by-step instructions on accessing and modifying preferences.

## Technical Details

**Storage:** Department preferences are stored in the `ConfigOption` table with:
- `scope` = `DEPARTMENT` 
- `department` = the department entity reference
- `optionKey` = preference name (e.g., "Pharmacy - Allow Issue to Same Department")
- `optionValue` = "true" or "false"

**Code:** Preferences are queried and managed via `ConfigOptionApplicationController` methods:
- `getBooleanValueByKeyForDepartment(key, department, defaultValue)`
- `setBooleanValueByKeyForDepartment(key, department, value)`

**Access Control:** Modifying department preferences requires the `Admin` privilege on your user account.

## Future Preferences

This framework supports adding new department-specific preferences as needed:
- Finance department — payment method restrictions
- Nursing — specific admission workflows  
- OPD — consultation room assignments

Submit requests to your system administrator for new preferences.

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**See Also:**
- [Application Configuration](Application-Configuration.md)
- [System Administration](System-Administration.md)
- [Privileges and Access Control](Privileges-and-Access-Control.md)