McKesson RFID Solution Drives Control Of High-Dollar Inventory

Smart cabinets improve efficiency and promote accountability

With today’s launch of McKesson’s new Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) cabinets, hospitals gain a powerful tool for managing expensive physician preference items (PPIs) such as stents, pacemakers, implants and orthopedic supplies. Part of the company’s Point-of-Use Supply solution, these smart cabinets use low-touch technology to automate control of inventory.

The new cabinets enable hospital staff to manage inventories automatically and give nursing access to supplies quickly and easily. The cabinets also support efficient control of consignment items, preventing loss and reducing unnecessary charges.

“PPIs often represent the bulk of a procedure’s cost, and they are the reason supply costs are projected to soon overtake labor as the single largest hospital expense category,” said Todd Tabel, vice president, enterprise resource planning and supply chain solutions, McKesson Provider Technologies. “Through improved supplies control and new workflow efficiencies, organizations can better maintain their profitability and position themselves for success in an increasingly value-driven healthcare environment.”

Using low-touch technology, the smart RFID cabinets are easy to use. A nurse can simply scan a badge, select the correct patient case with needed supplies and then go on rounds. The cabinet does the rest. Its built-in technology automatically captures the supply data and updates the clinical case and inventory. It also helps reduce the risk of adverse drug reactions by removing human error in the selection of drugs. This streamlined workflow and integration to clinical applications frees clinicians to do what they do best— providing care for patients.

The RFID cabinets, as part of McKesson Point of Use Supply, formerly known as IntelliShelf, simplifies hospital supply chain management by automating critical supply functions at the point of use, including requisitioning, patient charging, inventory management and information capture. The integrated offering incorporates open bins, bar codes and RFID options.

The RFID solution adds increased functionality to the company’s healthcare supply chain solution suite. McKesson Supply Chain Solutions, including McKesson Point of Use Supply, McKesson Strategic Supply Sourcing, and McKesson Supply Chain Management, can integrate with McKesson ERP Solutions or work independently with any materials management information system, to help providers gain new supply chain efficiencies and savings.

The benefits of the RFID solution align with McKesson’s Better Health 2020 initiative, which is designed to help healthcare providers use information technology to achieve better patient care, better business health and better connectivity as health reform unfolds. Critical success factors addressed by Better Health 2020 include maximizing the value of technology, reducing costs while improving quality, connecting and coordinating care, and managing advanced payment models.

About McKesson
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.