Automated Medication Dispensing Systems

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

On completion of the materials provided in this chapter, you will be able to:

1 Recognize an automated medication dispensing system

2 Identify the advantages of using an automated medication dispensing system

Health care delivery systems continue to strive to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the delivery of medications to patients. In recent years, more and more hospitals and other care center areas have moved to the use of automated medication dispensing systems.

Each patient care unit is provided with a special cabinet that houses the medications that will be dispensed from that unit. The medications in the machine are usually listed by both their trade and generic names. This feature helps expedite location of the medications by the nurse. These cabinets are connected to the central pharmacy for order verifications and accuracy, as well as for automation of usage reports that are provided for many facets of the medication process. Depending on the vendor chosen by the institution, a variety of medications may be housed in the cabinet, ranging from only controlled substances to inclusion of first doses, as-needed (prn) doses, and regularly scheduled medications.

Having a wide range of medications within the patient care area allows a quick response to changes in a patient’s condition. For example, a new medication order does not require a special trip to the central pharmacy to obtain the needed medication, allowing the new drug regimen to be initiated quickly. With a computerized system, the patient has the added benefit of more time being available to the nurse for all aspects of patient care, and the pharmacist has more time to confer with physicians and resource nurses and to analyze drug studies and usage.

An automatic drug dispensing system also leads to a reduction in medication errors. This is especially true as vendors market new options that allow only the designated drawer housing the medication that is being given at that time to open. The automated medication dispensing system also enhances patient satisfaction. This is especially evident in postsurgical patients or patients with cancer who require the administration of pain medications in a timely manner. Pain medications are usually controlled substances that require the nurse to first locate and obtain the narcotic keys from a peer, then open the narcotic supply, find and remove the right medication, relock the supply area, sign out the controlled substance, and then take the medication to the patient for administration. With an automated system, the nurse is able to access the medication from the cabinet and confirm the accuracy of the controlled substance count immediately. The medication may then be given quickly to the patient with the least amount of time and effort expended (Figure 20-1). All these systems are password secured. Each nurse has a password or ID number. Continuous documentation occurs while the cabinet is in use. The nurse can review records, but at the same time the cabinet records how long the nurse has been “logged in.” This is important for quality control and evaluation of nursing actions in relation to patient care.