Ohio Hospital Integrates Medication Management System
Recognizing the large number of opportunities for errors in medication delivery, Lake Hospital System in Northeast Ohio adopted a comprehensive technology solution that addresses medication management and distribution. One of the unique components of the Lake System is a solution which extends throughout the delivery steps to also consider inventory.
Lake took on a significant financial commitment to introduce the multi-faceted system, investing $750,000 annually. The solution includes distinct systems that support accurate selection and delivery of medications, along with the necessary safeguards to store controlled medications.
The MedCarousel system tracks drug availability and notes stocking, essentially overseeing inventory control. It can also electronically transmit drug orders to the hospital’s pharmaceutical providers. This system also prints bar code labels with medication lists to facilitate medication retrieval.
Barcodes are scanned for acquisition of drugs from AcuDose-Rx cabinets found in each hospital ward. Scanning of the MedCarousel and AcuDose-RX bar codes ensure that proper meds are retrieved. When nurses go to deliver drugs to patients, medication is taken to the bedside along with a patient list to verify administration details. A separate product, NarcStation, is used to manage controlled substances.
Already hospital administrators have noted benefits of the system, particularly a reduction in errors due to medication similarities in either name or appearance. The ability to address inventory issues is a nice compliment.
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April 25, 2007 Related topics: Quality, Safety, Errors