Latest Releases Of McKesson Automation Solutions Help Pharmacies Manage Business And Refocus On Clinical Care

Design improvements unique to hospital pharmacy automation

McKesson recently announced the launch of four new hospital pharmacy and point-of-care solutions designed to enhance medication delivery through automation. Part of the company’s commitment to identify and fill process gaps in the medication distribution process, these new solutions feature unique design and functionality enhancements that quickly deliver a return on investment by automating manual tasks and enabling streamlined operations while helping to improve quality and safety for better patient care.

“These are dynamic times for our industry, and as healthcare evolves, the pharmacy must evolve with it,” said Kraig McEwen, president of McKesson Automation. “We are continuously advancing medication delivery through automation solutions that are designed to help our customers gain control over their processes, manage ongoing change, reduce risk and refocus clinicians’ time on patient care.”

The newly redesigned central pharmacy solutions, including ROBOT-Rx robotic dispensing system, MedCarousel vertical automated medication storage and retrieval system, AcuDose-Rx automated dispensing cabinet and MedShelf- Rx inventory management software solution, are strong proof points of the company’s Better Health 2020 strategy, which includes a focus on performance and quality improvement. As a result of health reform, many providers expect lower reimbursement rates and greater demands for high quality. In turn, they are looking for better, more effective ways to manage their operations, including hospital pharmacies, and still achieve better quality and safety that lead to better patient outcomes.

“McKesson pharmacy automation solutions have enabled us to deploy pharmacists to patient care areas where they have become more involved in clinical services,” said Desmond Waters, pharmacy director at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “As a result, we’ve improved our relationships with nurses and physicians, and the administration sees this as an investment that benefits the entire hospital through enhanced patient safety.”

Details about the Solutions
The new McKesson ROBOT-Rx, the leading pharmacy robotic dispensing system, automates 90 percent of dispensing from central pharmacy, including odd-form medications. With all new aesthetics and enhanced acoustics, the new ROBOT-Rx supports more efficient, real-time inventory management, driving down cost by reducing excess inventory and expired medications. With increased throughput, ROBOT-Rx helps eliminate time-consuming manual tasks, while supporting the highest levels of accuracy, control and compliance. The new model accommodates extra small bags to allow for more unique line items and helps increase total doses stored. A new envelope design helps maintain accountability for dispensed medications. And a new integrated scanner will support evolving barcode standards. ROBOT-Rx provides the barcode foundation for successful Barcode Medication Administration (BCMA) initiatives, to enabale greater control and reduced risk throughout the distribution process.

The new McKesson MedCarousel vertical automated medication storage and retrieval system enables pharmacies to gain efficiencies in dispensing and inventory management. MedCarousel has increased storage and line-item capacity to enable hospitals to realize space efficiency gains of 60 percent or more. Its dynamic inventory optimization helps increase inventory turns by up to 65 percent. New hardware design features include an enclosed carrier design, lower power consumption, and other design changes to drive efficiency and economy.

MedCarousel features enhanced pick-to-light technology that reduces up to 96 percent of dispensing and restocking errors. A streamlined workflow increases pharmacy technician productivity, freeing them for other important tasks. MedCarousel integrates with McKesson’s AcuDose-Rx and other third-party medication dispensing cabinets for three times faster cabinet replenishment.

The new McKesson MedShelf-Rx inventory management software enables hospitals to apply barcode scanning and perpetual inventory management processes to existing inventory locations. Following proven, barcode-based workflows, MedShelf-Rx provides comprehensive inventory management, enabling pharmacies to maintain perpetual inventory and adjust as medications are dispensed, restocked or returned. MedShelf-Rx is scalable, helping health systems to control and monitor inventory in smaller facilities. The software supports multiple locations and can be used with existing pick stations, other shelving or refrigerated areas.

The new McKesson AcuDose-Rx automated dispensing cabinet is designed to give nurses access to the medications they need, when they need them. With input from more than 1,300 nurses and pharmacists, AcuDose-Rx features an enhanced workflow designed to eliminate issues seen in existing cabinet technology, helping to get nurses in and out of the cabinet more quickly and reduce training time. The all-new ergonomic design features a larger work surface, integrated bag drawer and new label printer, helping nurses to pull medication orders faster and with fewer screen touches. AcuDose-Rx features the exclusive RightStock inventory optimization functionality, which helps reduces medication stock outs as well as the number and instances of expired medications. RightStock also helps track medication usage, allowing pharmacy to reclaim up to one-third of cabinet space for fast-moving medications.

About McKesson Corporation
McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 14th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to making the business of healthcare run better. We partner with payers, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and others across the spectrum of care to build healthier organizations that deliver better care to patients in every setting. McKesson helps its customers improve their financial, operational, and clinical performance with solutions that include pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management, healthcare information technology, and business and clinical services. For more information, visit www.mckesson.com.