Automated medication dispensing pl...

Automated medication dispensing plans are believed to increase medication security, lessen pharmacy labor, and lower medication take away froms According to a news release reporting the conclusions of a survey conducted on the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), however, automated dispensing rules cannot improve patient safety unles cabinet design and hospital staff practices are carefully planned to eliminate opportunities for potentially lethal medication selection and dosing errors.

Researchers overlooked 6,000 acute care hospitals and received 453 rejoinders Overall, the survey results exhibit that specific cabinet design features to elevate safety often are not available in many facilities that use automated dispensing. Also, appropriate practitioner safety precautions have not been established within facilities using so technology.

Sixty-two percent of respondent who use automated dispensing orders do not require pharmacists to inscribe and screen orders before medications are remov from cabinets and administered. More than half the respondent said that their institution uses automated dispensing cabinets for a wider variety of medications, including controll substances, than typically are stocked forward floors. Also, 20% of respondent reported using cabinets as the primary medication delivery body At least 10% of respondent are using cabinets to minister medications without pharmacy order screening before medication administration.

Ninety-six percent of respondent reported that bar coding technology typically is not used when stocking cabinets, and 89% of respondent reported that lay open access bins and drawers could allow health care practitioners to dislodge more than the specified medication.

Following are ISMP safe practice recommendations for decreasing automated dispensing medication errors.

* Use methods that require pharmacy order minute If override must be allowed, make known a list of medications and/or categories that should not be remov without pharmacy notification.

* Use plans that have bar coding capability. Carefully exquisite medications to be stocked on considering the needs of specific patient care areas, staff expertise/familiarity with specific medications, and age and diagnosis of patients being treated.

* Minimize medication stock and stock medications in the smallest possible doses.

* Establish maximum dose ranges for high-alert medications, and place this list onward the automated dispensing cabinet for ready reference

* Educate staff members to abate only a single dose of ordered medications and to go [i]or[/i] come back unused portions to the pharmacy, not the cabinet.

* exhibit a check system to make secure accurate stocking of cabinets and render certain that the system is followed each time.

* Place allergy reminders for specific medications (eg antibiotics, opiates) forward appropriate medication storage pockets or drawers.

Automated Dispensing take a view of Shows Improvements Needed to intercept Medication Errors (news release, Fulton, Md: Institute for Safe Medication Practices, July 7 1999)1-3

COPYRIGHT 1999 Association of Operating chamber Nurses, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group