The pharmacy department of the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), a 750-bed hospital located in Baltimore, is employing an RFID-based solution to aid in the stocking of medication kits transported around the hospital for use with patients in the event of emergencies. Emergency medications are used for patients who require immediate intervention. Each kit comes with approximately 25 to 50 items, and is sealed until one of those supplies is required, at which time the kit’s plastic covering is removed and the necessary items are taken out. Once the kit is no longer needed, it is then returned to the pharmacy, where staff members must determine what has been removed, and thus what must be replaced. Through the use of an RFID reader station, the facility is able to identify which medications are loaded onto a crash cart’s tray, which require replenishment, and those approaching their expiration dates. As an added benefit, the facility has reduced the amount of time employees must spend loading each emergency medication tray, from approximately 20 minutes down to less than 5 minutes. Learn how the system automates the process, and how it is successfully reducing the risk of manual errors as trays are loaded.
Speaker:
Adrienne Shepardson Phar.D., Manager, Central Pharmacy Services, University of MD Medical Center, Department of Pharmacy