Medication Cabinets, Carts, & BCMA 2014
Technology's Impact on Nurse Efficiency and Patient Safety

WORTH KNOWING

NURSING VIEWS CABINETS DIFFERENTLY:

CareFusion beat out the competition for the top cabinet spot. While nurses reported that all cabinets improve their efficiency, CareFusion had the highest percentage of customers who dispensed most medications from their cabinets, and nurses rated CareFusion highest for product quality and ease of use. Omnicell’s cabinet was rated the top-rated cabinet by pharmacy, but Omnicell was the only vendor to be rated lower by nurses. From a limited sample, nurses using Cerner said the tight integration with Cerner’s EMR outweighs other minor concerns.

IT’S NOT THE CART; IT’S THE CONFIGURATION:

Carts with storage drawers have the most significant impact on nurse efficiency. Howard Medical and Rubbermaid Healthcare had the highest percentage of nurses who noted significant efficiency and safety gains, benefitting from their drawer configurations. The nurses using these carts reported relatively few issues with batteries or the carts themselves. Ergotron had the fewest nurses report gains, and some noted challenges with the cart size or batteries.

TECHNOLOGY MYTHS DEBUNKED: NURSES OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVE:

Lines at the cabinet and slowness are oft-cited arguments against cabinets and barcoding. This proved to be a myth. For those getting most medications out of their cabinet, nearly 84% stated that cabinets improved efficiency. Though lines at the cabinet were cited as an annoyance, most nurses prefer using the cabinets to waiting for the pharmacy. Though barcoding takes a bit longer, the nurses were clear that the patient-safety benefits alone outweigh the additional time required. Additionally, 76% said they are more efficient with BCMA since they don’t have to document as much and can access the entire medication record at the point of care.

SMART POINT-OF-CARE TOOLS: THE NEXT STEP FOR BARCODING:

The most vulnerable step in the medication administration process is the last 50 feet. More organizations consider purchasing a new BCMA system or expanding their existing one as their top priority. The next-highest priority was acquiring mobile point-of-care devices that consolidate the nurse tool belt (e.g., wireless communication, BCMA, secure messaging, specimen collection, blood administration). Cerner, Epic, and PatientSafe Solutions offer devices with more than just BCMA, but to date, adoption has been minimal.

MEDICATION CABINETS

AESYNT AcuDose-Rx:

Solid, reliable cabinet. Most noted for helping nurses with interruptions during medication pulls. Nurses noted recent upgrade improvements to slightly lagging overall product quality, and a few mentioned field-support challenges.

CAREFUSION Pyxis MedStation:

Easy-to-use cabinet. Highest rated by nurses for product quality and reliability. Most highly recommended cabinet by nurses. Has highest percentage of customers using it to hold most medications.

OMNICELL OmniRx:

Highest rated by pharmacy thanks to highly regarded service/support, but lowest rated by nursing for overall performance. Nurses noted potential for improvement with ease of use of the medication-pull process and reporting.

PRELIMINARY DATA VENDORS

ABTG MEDSELECT:

A solid, reliable cabinet that has seen little new development over the years. ABTG has a hands-off approach with customers.

CERNER RxStation:

Newest entry to cabinet market. Nurses highlighted recent improvements to the overall cabinet and patient-safety benefits gained from the tight EMR integration. A couple of nurses noted that the product hinders efficiency. A few noted support limitations.

Nursing Carts

ENOVATE:

Generally bolsters efficiency/safety. Challenges with maneuverability hamper nurse usage. No noted battery issues.

ENOVATE (STINGER):

Batteries easily swapped out, but they don’t last as long as promised. More battery issues than any other cart, which limits positive impact on patient safety. Efficiency gains from drawer configurations.

ERGOTRON:

Lowest percentage of customers that said carts improve nursing efficiency or patient safety. Nursing adoption challenged by battery issues, lack of drawers, and nurse preferences for wall-mounted computers.

HOWARD MEDICAL:

Second-highest average percentage of customers who reported that carts help patient safety and nursing efficiency. Few challenges and no noted battery issues, though cart mobility did come up as an issue.

METRO (FLO AND LIONVILLE):

Moderate, but not significant, impact on nurse efficiency and patient safety. Few noted battery issues.

RUBBERMAID HEALTHCARE:

Highest average percentage of customers who reported carts help nurse efficiency and patient safety. Easy to maneuver. Service team’s interactions with customers are positive.