Automated Medication Dispensing Devices
Chapter 11. Automated Medication Dispensing Devices
Michael D. Murray, PharmD, MPH
Purdue University School of Pharmacy
Background In the 1980s, automated dispensing devices appeared on the scene, a generation after the advent of unit-dose dispensing (Chapter 11). The invention and production of these devices brought hopes of reduced rates of medication errors, increased efficiency for pharmacy and nursing staff, ready availability of medications where they are most often used (the nursing unit or inpatient ward), and improved pharmacy inventory and billing functions.1-4 Although the capacity of such systems to contribute to patient safety appears great, surprisingly few studies have evaluated the clinical impact of these devices. Practice Description Automated dispensing systems are drug storage devices or cabinets that electronically dispense medications in a controlled fashion and track medication use. Their principal advantage lies in permitting nurses to obtain medications for inpatients at the point of use. Most systems require user identifiers and passwords, and internal electronic devices track nurses accessing the system, track the patients for whom medications are administered, and provide usage data to the hospital’s financial office for the patients’ bills. These automated dispensing systems can be stocked by centralized or decentralized pharmacies. Centralized pharmacies prepare and distribute medications from a central location within the hospital. Decentralized pharmacies reside on nursing units or wards, with a single decentralized pharmacy often serving several units or wards. These decentralized pharmacies usually receive their medication stock and supplies from the hospital’s central pharmacy. More advanced systems provide additional information support aimed at enhancing patient safety through integration into other external systems, databases, and the Internet. Some models use machine-readable code for medication dispensing and
Michael D. Murray, PharmD, MPH
Purdue University School of Pharmacy
Background In the 1980s, automated dispensing devices appeared on the scene, a generation after the advent of unit-dose dispensing (Chapter 11). The invention and production of these devices brought hopes of reduced rates of medication errors, increased efficiency for pharmacy and nursing staff, ready availability of medications where they are most often used (the nursing unit or inpatient ward), and improved pharmacy inventory and billing functions.1-4 Although the capacity of such systems to contribute to patient safety appears great, surprisingly few studies have evaluated the clinical impact of these devices. Practice Description Automated dispensing systems are drug storage devices or cabinets that electronically dispense medications in a controlled fashion and track medication use. Their principal advantage lies in permitting nurses to obtain medications for inpatients at the point of use. Most systems require user identifiers and passwords, and internal electronic devices track nurses accessing the system, track the patients for whom medications are administered, and provide usage data to the hospital’s financial office for the patients’ bills. These automated dispensing systems can be stocked by centralized or decentralized pharmacies. Centralized pharmacies prepare and distribute medications from a central location within the hospital. Decentralized pharmacies reside on nursing units or wards, with a single decentralized pharmacy often serving several units or wards. These decentralized pharmacies usually receive their medication stock and supplies from the hospital’s central pharmacy. More advanced systems provide additional information support aimed at enhancing patient safety through integration into other external systems, databases, and the Internet. Some models use machine-readable code for medication dispensing and