Thumbs up for vending machine style dispensing

It looks like a big vending machine and it is making life easier for staff at both the North Bay General Hospital (NBGH) and the Northeast Mental Health Centre (NEMHC). Automated Dispensing Cabinets (ADCs) and Computerized Medication Administration Records (cMARs) have now been implemented on every in-patient unit at the NEMHC, on the Adult In-Patient Unit at NBGH, and in the Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit. ADCs make medication dispensing easier for staff and have the potential to significantly reduce medication errors.

ADCs allow a nurse to log on, pull up the medication profile of the patient and access the appropriate medication using a touch screen monitor. The drawer containing the medication lights up and a second light in the drawer guides the nurse to the correct bin to access the correct medication for a specific patient. An audit trail records all transactions, making it easier to monitor activity and address issues such as waste, overrides and returns. There is also less waste because there is a return bin for unused, unopened medication that can be recycled back into the ADCs.

Nursing staff initially approached the ADCs with some trepidation, but there has been great buy-in. Marlene Ranger, RPN at NEMHC, says employees were nervous at first because of the fear of the unknown. "But at the same time they were looking forward to it, and once they realized they could trust the system and how quick and easy it was to work with, they relaxed. Now it's like second nature to them and they are very comfortable with it." Ranger says there were concerns initially that there could be long line ups waiting to access the ADCs, but that hasn't been the case because it only takes a moment to retrieve the medication. Nurse clinician Liz Hummel of the Emergency Department at NBGH agrees. "There was a concern the ADCs would be a barrier to rapid dispensing in the busy ER, but I'm pleased this has not been the case, and the response has been very positive."

"I love it!" says RPN Maureen Leclerc. "It is very user friendly and the stock is always available now so you don't have to go running off to the pharmacy. Sometimes it used to take an hour to get medications, but with this, it's always stocked and the meds are always here."

The pharmacy manager at NEMHC, Laurie Wardell, emphasized the team work that was necessary to make this transition a success. "While we experienced many challenges, the focus of the nursing and pharmacy staff was always to work together to identify solutions. It's a great example of what we can achieve when we work together to improve our services."

Kathy Stackelberg is a public relations officer, at the North Bay Regional Health Centre.