Pharmacy automation is becoming commonplace in many healthcare facilities including point-of-care medication dispensing devices located on nursing units Pyxis Machineand in other acute care areas, controlled substance dispensing and tracking systems, centralized robotic dispensing devices, and similar devices to support ambulatory care.
POINT-OF-CARE MEDICATION DISPENSING DEVICES
Automated medication dispensing devices such as the Pyxis® Medstation are commonly used on inpatient care units. These point-of-care dispensing cabinets interface with the pharmacy computer system allowing for more medications to be stocked on the patient floor than in a traditional floor stock system. The majority of medications cannot be accessed by nursing personnel until the physician order has been reviewed and verified by the pharmacist. Other advantages of the system are reduced time spent by nursing personnel inventorying controlled substances, more efficient and timely re-supply of medications on the nursing unit, increased medication security and controlled substance accountability, and quick access to first doses for stat medication orders.
Bar code restocking verification systems are also utilized to add another layer of safety to the automated dispensing system. Bar code scanning devices are used within the pharmacy to ensure the correct item is removed from the stock shelves at which time a bar coded label is generated. When the items are delivered to the patient care unit, another bar code scanning device is used to ensure the medication is added to the correct location within the Pyxis Medstation and to ensure that the patient gets the correct medication and dosage.
CENTRALIZED ROBOTIC DISPENSING DEVICES
Robotic dispensing devices are frequently utilized to fill patient-specific bins for the 24-hour cart filling cycle within the central pharmacy. The center section of the robot can store over 15,000 unit-dose packaged medications with bar code identification on the labeling. The systems are multi-functional with the ability to individually package and store medications from bulk supplies, unload the medications into 24-hour patient medication bins to be delivered to specific nursing units, and can place back into storage medications that are returned following patient discharge.
State-of-the-art automation is also being used in outpatient pharmacies to process prescriptions with accuracy and efficiency. Robots prepare prescriptions to assist pharmacists in dispensing outpatient prescriptions. For example, the ScriptPro® Robotic Prescription Dispensing System delivers filled and labeled vials to the pharmacist for final approval. The system utilizes bar code technology throughout the various filling and checking steps for accuracy and quality control. Nearly 200 different tablet and capsule products are housed in the unit, each product in its own universal dispensing cell. The prescription vial the patient receives is automatically labeled with all required label components including instructions typed in by pharmacy staff. Automation improves the efficiency of prescription processing and allows pharmacists to focus on providing patients with education on their medication and working with prescribers on improving the selection and use of medications.
This article is an update of previous post.