‘The cabinets have also helped our staff respond to the cOVID-19 outbreak, which has seen an unprecedented impact on nhS services. at the height of the pandemic, many nursing staff were relocated from surgical to medical wards to provide extra support to cOVID-19 patients. More nurses were therefore exposed to the cabinets and learned how to use them. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many nursing staff reporting how the cabinets made their working lives simpler. They no longer had to worry about manual stock management because the cabinets ensure efficient and safe practice. Very importantly for cOVID-19 patients in a critical condition, the cabinets increased patient safety and staff confidence with fewer people required to handle medication before its administration to patients.


‘although nhS Borders did not initially pilot a cabinet in the Intensive care unit, the cOVID-19 pandemic demonstrated clearly that it would be a major asset in terms of safety and efficiency and we will be considering this in the future. even so, it has been possible to set critical medication lists for patients with cOVID-19 on the cabinets in nearby wards, improving the efficiency of medicines management.


drug cupboards which were often untidy, time-consuming and inefficient.


‘Within four months of installing the Omnicell cabinets, we saw significant benefits and improvements across the wards, including: • a time saving for pharmacists of 37 minutes per top-up (totalling five hours per week).


• a reduction in the number of returned medicines from the ward.


• a reduction in stock for the wards. • nursing time saved putting medication away on wards.


• Medication is easier to find and therefore safer.


• a reduced risk of expired medication being administered to patients.


• a reduction in time taken for controlled drugs management.


• Less wastage of TTO packs. • capability to run real-time reports on antibiotic use.


• Support for on-call pharmacy teams.


‘as Director of Pharmacy at nhS Borders, I have observed additional benefits for pharmacy staff in our hospital dispensary. The cabinets’ ability to manage stock electronically means that pharmacy staff no longer need to spend time on the wards undertaking manual stock checks. The time released is now focussed on clinical rather than administrative work. For example, the antimicrobial team can now take real-time information from the cabinets about specific patients to check whether they are prescribed the best medication for their condition and to observe how the patient is responding.


‘I also act as the accountability Officer for controlled Drugs at nhS Borders, which has also benefitted from the acquisition of the cabinets. Their ability to reconcile stock means that discrepancies are more quickly identified and any issues resolved swiftly. access to the cabinets is managed by secure fingerprint recognition which, coupled with a unique lockable drawer system,


‘Within four months of installing the Omnicell cabinets, we saw significant benefits and improvements across the wards’


guarantees that the security of the controlled drugs is maximised. Such factors are of paramount importance in busy ward settings; another cabinet will be installed in our Palliative care ward after the charge nurse witnessed the advantages for administration of controlled drugs.


‘Since installing the cabinets, nhS Borders has increased its accountability, governance and patient safety as the cabinets provide a usable, secure and reliable data audit trail. This has allowed us to better understand and meet patients’ individual treatment needs. Based on the benefits realised within nhS Borders, the technological solutions offered by automated cabinets could certainly aid other nhS Boards and hospitals across Scotland and beyond to become more patient-centred and more accountable – both clinically and financially.


‘Overall, the Omnicell automated medication dispensation cabinets have visibly improved the efficiency of medication management at nhS Borders, achieving the four key goals outlined at the outset of the project. crucially, this includes improved patient safety and reduced medication errors. The cabinets ensure that no medication is unsecured, and offers greater visibility when medications leave the pharmacy. The reporting system means that we know exactly what medication is where, supporting efficient and effective stock management. We have already seen cost savings as a result, with nurse and pharmacy staff time freed up to focus more on the most important thing - direct patient care. We are now excited about the next stage of development which will see cabinets rolled out to our elderly and surgical wards, once further data analysis has taken place.’


www.omnicell.co.uk


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