Jerry Fahrni

Tag: BPOC

  • Carousel technology article in AJHP

    AJHP: “Implementation and evaluation of carousel dispensing technology in a university medical center pharmacy (Am J Health Syst Pharm 2010 67: 821-829)

    Results. The estimated labor savings comparing the preimplementation and postimplementation time studies for automated dispensing cabinet (ADC) refills, first-dose requests, supplemental cart fill, and medication procurement totaled 2.6 full-time equivalents (FTEs). After departmental reorganization, a net reduction of 2.0 technician FTEs was achieved. The average turnaround time for stat medication requests using CDT was 7.19 minutes, and the percentage of doses filled in less than 20 minutes was 95.1%. After implementing CDT, the average accuracy rate for all dispense requests increased from 99.02% to 99.48%. The inventory carrying cost was reduced by $25,059.

    Conclusion. CDT improved the overall efficiency and accuracy of medication dispensing in a university medical center pharmacy. Workflow efficiencies achieved in ADC refill, first-dose dispensing, supplemental cart fill, and the medication procurement process allowed the department to reduce the amount of technician labor required to support the medication distribution process, as well as reallocate technician labor to other areas in need. ”

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  • Top blog posts and searches from last week

    I always find it interesting to see what brings someone to my website and what they decided to read once they get here. Most of the time it isn’t pharmacy related at all. Funny how that works.

    Most read posts over last week:

    1. Medscape Mobile for the BlackBerry – This has appeared at or near the top for the past couple of weeks. It’s a testament to how many healthcare professionals are still carrying BlackBerry devices.
    2. iPad + ClamCase = awesomeness? – This is funny. All I have to do is put the word “iPad” anywhere in a post and people flock to it.
    3. CPOE – Giving it some thought – CPOE is gaining some traction for sure.
    4. Cool Technology for Pharmacy – LXE Bluetooth Ring Scanner – I sat on this one for quite a while. Couldn’t decide if I wanted to blog about it or not.
    5. RxCalc 1.1 now available for the iPhone and iPod Touch – Similar to “iPad”. Put the word “iPhone” somewhere in the post and people will find it.
    6. “What’d I miss?” – Week of May 23, 2010
    7. Cool Technology for Pharmacy – This was before I started putting the name of the cool technology in the blog title. This particular post was from Jun 18, 2009 and covered Alaris Smartpumps.
    8. Best iPhone / iPod Touch Applications for Pharmacists – Ibid, iPhone & iPad. It’s been a while. I should really update this information.
    9. Curriculum Vitae – I see this show up high up on the list occasionally. I believe young pharmacists are looking for an example of how to compose a CV. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to write one; still don’t know if I have it right. I can never figure out how much information to include or what should be excluded.
    10. “What’d I miss?” – Week of May 17,2010

    Top searchterm phrases for last week

    1. “medscape.com/blackberry”
    2. “autopharm”
    3. “alaris”
    4. “jerry fahrni”
    5. “black cloud”
    6. “cloud computing”
    7. +”magnetic resonance imaging” + “cool image”
    8. “alaris infusion pump”
    9. “dell xt”
    10. “carousel for meds” tied with “medscape mobile”

  • Cool Technology for Pharmacy – LXE Bluetooth Ring Scanner

    A recent conversation with Carla Corkern, CEO of Talyst, resulted in this week’s Cool Technology for Pharmacy.

    The LXE 8650 Bluetooth Ring Scanner is a pretty neat, albeit homely, piece of hardware. The device is designed with wearability in mind to provide the end-user with hands-free operation.

    The LXE 8650 consists of a ring scanner and a Bluetooth module. The Bluetooth module is attached to the wrist via a velcro strap and the ring scanner fits on the finger and is operated by a thumb trigger. The system is lightweight coming in at only 4.8 ounces (136 grams), and that includes the ring scanner, Bluetooth module, battery and wrist strap. The scanner is designed with a magnesium alloy housing so it can take a beating, something that is a necessity in the pharmacy. In addition to the magnesium housing the system is sealed to IP54 standards1 and can withstand multiple drops from up to 4 feet to concrete. Battery life appears to be pretty good and can deliver up to 17,000 scans on a single charge. I don’t know about your pharmacy, but that equates to more than 24 hours of continuous use before a charge is necessary.
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  • Combination RFID – Bar code reader from Motorola

    Looks like Motorola is upping the ante a bit in the portable scanner game. They recently introduced a combination bar code scanner and RFID reader for use at the point of care. It’s not pretty, and the name could use a little marketing help, but it offers some interesting functionality. A combination scanning devices like this could be just what the healthcare industry needs as we continue to move forward with BPOC / BCMA and start investigating the expanded role of RFID tags in patient safety.
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  • Cool Technology for Pharmacy – QR Codes

    Last night I was reading through some tweets and ran across this one from @ahier. Of course this led me to the referenced article on Microsoft Tags. It was a very interesting article, but for reasons I can’t explain I started thinking about a conversation I had with some people at the unSUMMIT regarding the use of QR Codes. And like all people with a short attention span I fired up Google and started searching for information on QR Codes. Fascinating stuff.
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  • Hey, anyone seen a unit-dose around here?

    When you ask a pharmacist what a unit-dose is you may get a funny look. Actually, you will get a funny look. I know because I asked one of the pharmacists I work with that very question today and she gave me a look that could only be described as a cross between concern and pity. She thought the answer to my question was obvious and who could blame her.
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  • Interesting similarity, don’t you think?

    I finally got around to digging into the article on bar code medication administration (BCMA) in the most recent issue of the NEJM. It’s and interesting article that has already receiving a lot of press. It will probably be tossed around for months.

    One thing I found amusing in the article was figure 1 on page 1706 (bottom image). I’ve had a similar visual on one of my office whiteboards (top image) for nearly a year. I like being on the same page with intelligent people.