- Intelliguard’s Mira Prep and Mira Care stations can now read and decode Cencora medication enabled with RFID
- Officials said this is significant milestone in streamlining the medication supply chain processes
Intelliguard has partnered with Cencora to bring better compatibility between RFID-tagged medication and RFID-based medication management systems.
Intelliguard’s Mira Prep and Mira Care stations can now read and decode Cencora medication enabled with RFID to seamlessly aggregate data from RFID-tagged medications. The expanded capability allows providers access to a wider selection of medications compatible with Intelliguard’s systems.
Tim Tinnel, chief operating officer of Intelliguard, noted the partnership is the latest step in healthcare professionals to focus on patient safety by reducing time-consuming, manual processes.
“By joining Cencora to bridge the gap between RFID-based medication management systems and RFID source-tagged medications, we support healthcare facilities in optimizing operations, reducing risks, prioritizing an environment of safety, and maximizing ROI,” said Tinnel in a press statement.
Medication Supply Chain
Intelliguard is a provider of medication management systems to track, trace, and manage medications and critical inventory. This RFID-based system protects patients and hospitals by creating an environment of safety around every medication decision from supplier to patient.
The Mira Ecosystem includes Mira Intelligence, Mira CareMira Supply, and Mira Prep. As a key component in hospital pharmacy workflows, the Prep Station enables RFID-powered automation so pharmacists can swiftly identify a wide range of medications, circumventing manual processes and significantly reducing preparation time. Instead of manually scanning medications, pharmacists can log and track medications and efficiently assemble trays with greater than 99 percent accuracy.
The Care Station is a medication-dispensing workstation for anesthesia providers that provides real-time data, an intuitive clinical workflow, and seamless tracking of controlled substances, while Supply Cabinet and Station seamlessly track critical medications and products for greater visibility and control across the supply chain—from manufacturer to patient.
Officials at both companies stated the collaboration marks a “significant milestone” in streamlining the medication supply chain processes for manufacturers and pharmacists by providing pre-tagged medications to hospitals.
Expanding RFID use
Additionally, it fosters a shift toward broader adoption of RFID technology in medication management. Expanding the number of RFID source-tagged medications compatible with Intelliguard products reduces barriers to access and enhances inventory management. The end result is simplified workflows and an increased focus on patient safety across healthcare facilities, according to company officials.
As hospitals and health systems adopt RFID technology, manufacturers and distributors become increasingly involved in medication tagging.
The lack of sourced tagging for medications puts an additional burden on healthcare providers, which is especially prevalent in hospital pharmacies, as many are then forced to manually apply RFID tags to medications, said Matt Wright, SVP, Global Products & Solutions Portfolio Leader at Cencora, a leading global pharmaceutical solutions organization that partners with pharmaceutical innovators to facilitate and optimize market access to therapies.
Reducing Labor
“This additional labor can be a barrier to adopting or expanding utilization of RFID solutions, leaving hospitals at greater risk of medication expiry, stockouts, and inflated inventory overhead,” said Wright.
Officials stressed this represents a crucial advancement in healthcare and cascades into tangible benefits from manufacturing to distribution to hospital administration.
“Through greater interoperability and reliability on RFID-tagged medication management, Cencora, and Intelliguard are making it easier for hospital pharmacies to adopt RFID technology, enabling them to drive efficiencies that can directly translate into enhanced patient care and improved healthcare outcomes,” commented Wright.