Needing help with allocating medications to patients in their more than 800 beds when pharmacists were not on-site, a local hospital serving the eastern part of Montreal reached out to their local representative for a solution that provided both security and accountability for their more than 8,000 employees and the individuals they serve.
Out of Office, Top of Mind
Like your local drugstore, a hospital’s pharmacy follows the same cadence. The doctor puts in an order for a specific medicine or course of medicines, the order is reviewed and approved by a pharmacist, and a medical professional distributes the medicine as directed. A rather simple process with complicated components and, dare we say, life-affecting consequences. Unlike your local drugstore, however, a hospital pharmacy’s resources must be available 24/7 to facilitate the best treatment protocol for each patient’s needs. On the surface, this means that a pharmacist must be on staff all hours of the day to ensure that the medication allocation and distribution process is followed explicitly. Here in lies the issue that Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital in Montreal was experiencing: How could they experience the safety and On this side, staff members scan their RFID badges, allowing access to the lockers containing their patients' allotted medications. security benefits of having a pharmacist on-site 24/7, without the financial requirements of them physically being there?
Revealing the Path to Betterment
As this was a project for a public hospital, the work was required to be put to bid. When dealing with something as delicate as the health of another person, no decision can be made in haste. Numerous opinions must be considered and tests conducted, and the end result is always a combination of detailed analysis leading to the best possible solution. The process our local consultant followed was no exception to this principle. Starting by partnering with the project’s architect early in the A&D process – a factor of their reputation for providing custom solutions knowledge and results – they were able to provide valuable insight that helped shape the necessary project specifications. Insight, which allowed them to win the project after about a year and a half of consideration by the hospital’s administrators and advisors.
Knowing that a must-have was a system that could function seamlessly outside the assigned hours of the hospital’s pharmacists, our team took stock of the individuals involved in the process, their roles, and how all their efforts combined to serve their patients. What they found was that with the right storage solutions in place, pharmacists could work their assigned shift and, before leaving for the day, assess and allocate necessary medicines for distribution by staff while they are off the clock. Let’s take a look at each of those systems and the role they play in this installation. From this side, Pharmacists insert medications into their respective lockers and program which staff members can access them.
“The system has significantly improved upon the time it takes to get drugs to patients and how we track who is administering them,” said a hospital administrator. “Furthermore, we’ve been able to reduce costs while improving efficiency and security.”
One great way to create, recognize, and track staff member access is to use Spacesaver’s ControLoc® digital locking mechanism. ControLoc documents which individuals have accessed the system, the lockers they entered, and the date and time of every entry. As such, our consultant knew this would be the ideal solution for the hospital’s need. ControLoc® Technology Used in applications ranging from athletic equipment to evidence handling, these wall-integrated, two-sided systems are nothing less than ideal for upholding the integrity of the materials that pass through them. In the case of this hospital, pharmacists occupy one side of the wall, utilizing secure doors to access the compartments of each individual locker whose respective doors can be opened from the other side. This allows them to allocate and store the appropriate medication for a specific patient, storing it safely until the assigned staff member enters their unique code to retrieve it. Pass-Thru Lockers“The lockers look great and provide ease of use to staff members (about 1200 nurses),” said a hospital worker. “Spacesaver was able to adapt the system to meet our requirement of the doors opening sequentially using our existing RFID cards. We received great service during the development and sales cycle, as well as quick service after the installation.” Hospital Worker
One custom feature the hospital required of our team and solutions was for the system to allow for access to multiple doors with a single login sequence. With prior systems, users would have to enter their login information for each individual locker door, causing an unnecessary amount of time to complete the task or multiple trips. When using our custom system, staff members enter their credentials and each door they have been assigned access to lights up. Then, starting with the lowest numbered door, each will unlock and blink to indicate its contents are ready for retrieval. Once one door is opened and closed, it will automatically lock and the next door will open. Each event is recorded in the audit log, and the process continues until all assigned doors have been accessed.
If a timeout occurs during the withdrawal/removal process with the doors closed, the doors will lock and the event is recorded in the audit log; causing the user to have to re-login to pick up where they left off. If the “cancel” button is pressed during the withdrawal/removal process, the current door light will go out and that door will lock. From there, the event is recorded in the audit log and the next door in the increasing sequence will unlock and blink. With these innovative solutions in place, administrators and staff were able to improve their processes and automate functions that once required an on-site presence to fulfill. This has led to increased savings in both time and budget, while at the same time allowing the hospital to have a stronger understanding of who is handling and administering these high-value narcotics and drugs at all times.
Want to save space and improve workflows at your healthcare facility, all while promoting best practices in patient care and security for your patients and staff? Get started today by scheduling a free consultation with our knowledgable healthcare storage experts
