I recently spied a Twitter post regarding a “pill geometry” database. The idea of a database that houses the geometry of prescription tablets piqued my interest and sent my brain into overdrive. I don’t think that was the intention of the Twitter post, but it jump started by brain nonetheless.
Jerry Fahrni
Safest and most efficient distribution model
Cardinalhealth.com: “The findings of this analysis demonstrated that in a decentralized medication distribution model, as the percentage of medications in an automated dispensing cabinet (ADC) is increased, there is a direct correlation with: Decreased time to initial dose Decreased missing doses Decreased pharmacist and pharmacy technician labor Decreased non value added nursing activities Increased predictability … Read more
First AGPS-Enabled Asthma Inhaler for Landmark Research Program
Newsguide.us: “US-based GPS product design firm, SiliconSky GPS, designs and develops a GPS-enabled asthma inhaler that will help a cutting edge epidemiology researcher to better understand asthma triggers. Our client needed the medical device to be compact enough for convenient daily use. To achieve that end, it took efficient circuit design and meticulous 3D modeling to … Read more
Cool Pharmacy Technology
Thin clients are computers that depend on a centralized server for processing power. They are simple devices that typically contain only the most basic hardware, and frequently do not contain a hard drive. Thin clients essentially serve as the interface to the server. Thin clients are mostly inexpensive compared to traditional desktop PCs, and offer … Read more
Pharmacists aren’t completely worthless after all.
An article in the most recent issue of Archives of Internal Medicine reports the results of adding a pharmacist to a health care team to offer up expertise on appropriate use of medication in heart failure and hypertension. The results showed a 35% reduction in adverse drug events, a 48% reduction in preventable adverse drug … Read more
Digital Medicine Article in Business Week
A Business Week article this week took a look at the current state of electronic medical records (EMRs) and technology in healthcare. The author managed to deliver a mixed message without clearly differentiating between electronic medical records and patient safety issues. The article clearly focuses on the negative.
CDC Recommendations for the Treatment of Swine Flu
The questions are being asked. Get the answers here.
Windows 7 Ink Input and Tablet PC
Tablet PCs have tremendous value in a decentralized pharmacy model. I am a big fan and have been fortunate enough to have both a Director of Pharmacy and CIO that are supportive of technology and my desire to use it. Last year our department configured two tablet PCs to be used by our critical care … Read more
Eliminating Medication Waste in Long-Term Care
From PRWeb by way of Twitter: Talyst InSiteâ„¢, the first pharmacy automation system designed specifically for long-term care facilities, enables on-demand dispensing and saves nursing time. Our pharmacy utilizes several pieces of technology from Talyst. See full article here.
Fewer unit-dosed, barcode ready drugs from the manufacturer?
I’ve noticed a trend over the past few months. Several medications that we typically purchase are no longer available in unit-dosed, barcode ready packaging. The result has been the purchase of more and more medications in bulk, which require repackaging and barcoding prior to dispensing. The reason for the trend is unclear, but appears to be a difference in opinion on what information should be contained in the barcode and what barcode standard to use. Even with organizations like ASHP encouraging manufacturers to develop standards and the FDA requiring barcodes on prescription medications, there appears to be a gap.