You must use a BY statement. This is what tells SAS to set up the first. and last. variables in the PDV.

Greg M. Woolridge Manager, Study Programming TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc. e-mail: greg.woolridge@tap.com phone: 847-582-2332 fax: 847-582-2403

Dave Meyer <dmeyer@HOAGHOSP To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU ITAL.ORG> cc: Sent by: "SAS(r) Subject: using "first." and "last." Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV. UGA.EDU>

06/07/02 01:20 PM Please respond to Dave Meyer

Hi everyone,

I have 2 data sets that get updated on a regular basis. Set1 has patient demographic info (with no dups). Set2 has all of the MD's and health insurance companies that a patient has ever had (with a new line for each new MD or Ins. change).

I want to make sure that I always return the most recent MD/Insurance info when I merge the two sets. I have been trying to use an IF - THEN statement with "last." to return the most recent info.

The data comes sorted by the various contract start dates (so the most recent info is the last record for each patient). I have either written the code poorly, or I am trying to do something that SAS thinks is illogical.

TIA for any suggestions,

Dave

Here is the code I was trying to use after the sets are merged:

DATA work.con_2 ; Set work.con_1 ; If last.membnum Then Do; Company = eInsCo; End; RUN; DATA work.con_2 ; Set work.con_2 ; If Company = " " Then Delete; Else Return; RUN;

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