New Jersey Hospital Protects Patient Safety with Advanced Pharmacy Automation Solution
Swisslog's PillPick automated drug management system revolutionized the way hospital pharmacy prepares, dispenses and returns medications.
Denver, CO (PRWEB) July 9, 2009
For more than 80 years, Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, N. J., has provided healthcare excellence, compassionate medical and nursing care, and introduced technological advances in patient care. Continuing with its tradition of "first-rate patient care," Holy Name Hospital installed Swisslog's PillPick® automated drug management system.
The PillPick automated drug management system reduces medication errors by limiting the number of hands each dose must pass through to get to the patient. PillPick dispenses over 5,000 unit doses daily to Holy Name's 360 beds. The PillPick system's integrated components automate packaging, dispensing and storage while minimizing human intervention. The packaging modules prepare unit doses from bulk stock, and can over-wrap vials, cups, ampoules, syringes and blisters.
PillPick's DrugNest storage module at Holy Name is designed to hold 35,520 unit doses with expansion capabilities of up to 44,400 unit doses. The doses are simultaneously stored and dispensed into first doses and cart fill, streamlining the inventory management process. The patented PickRing assembles unit doses onto a flexible ring for 24-hour patient administration, cassette fill or for dispensing cabinet restocking. At Holy Name, bulk tablets and capsules are loaded into PillPick and packaged into unit dose bar-coded bags. Unit doses are then assembled into PickRings for patient administration. The rings are stored in a carousel, handpicked and delivered to the patient.
Since its installation in September 2007, Holy Name's PillPick drug management system revolutionized the way the pharmacy prepares, dispenses, and returns medications. Pharmacy Director, Rosario Lazzaro, MS, RP said, "Our CEO wants a 'just-in-time' delivery of the most current medications to the patients, with Swisslog's PillPick system, we are getting closer!" Before dispensing to the patient, both the dose and the patient's identification bracelet are scanned to ensure they are receiving the proper medication. Holy Name has seen fewer medication dosage mistakes due to this bar-coding technology.
About Holy Name Hospital
Holy Name Hospital is a fully accredited, not-for-profit, acute care community hospital located in Teaneck, New Jersey. Founded and sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in 1925, the hospital is now a comprehensive 361-bed medical center offering leading-edge medical practice and technology, administered in an environment rooted in a tradition of compassion and respect for every patient. Affiliation with the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System brings further advantages to our Bergen County community, including access to clinical trials, highly specialized physicians, and expanded opportunities for professional medical education.
About Swisslog
Swisslog is a global provider of integrated logistics solutions for warehouses, distribution centers and hospitals. Its comprehensive services portfolio ranges from building complex warehouses and distribution centers to implementing Swisslog's own software to intra-company logistics solutions for hospitals.
Swisslog's solutions optimize customers' production, logistics and distribution processes in order to increase flexibility, responsiveness and quality of service while minimizing logistics costs. With years of experience in the development and implementation of integrated logistics solutions, Swisslog provides the expertise that customers in more than 50 countries around the world rely on.
Headquartered in Buchs/Aarau, Switzerland, Swisslog currently employs over 2,000 staff in about 20 countries worldwide. The group's parent company, Swisslog Holding AG, is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (security number: 1232462, Telekurs: SLOG, Reuters: SLOG. S). For more information, visit www. swisslog. com.
Swisslog's Healthcare Solutions division is the world leader providing logistics automation mainly for healthcare markets. Swisslog has installed hospital material transport and pharmacy automation systems in more than 2,000 hospital and pharmacies throughout the world. Swisslog offers total system design, manufacturing, installation and customer support providing a complete hospital supply chain management approach to logistics challenges. Swisslog Healthcare Solutions division headquarters is located in Denver, CO.
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