[New technologies applied to the medication-dispensing process, error analysis and contributing factors]

Automation of in-hospital pharmacy dispensing: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

The current systematic review (SR) was undertaken to identify and summarise the published literature reporting on the clinical and economic value of automated in-hospital pharmacy services with a primary focus on systems supporting the dispensing of medicines.

METHODS

Literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Library on 17 December 2017 to identify English-language publications investigating any automated dispensing systems (ADSs) in the inpatient setting to include central pharmacy and ward-based systems.

RESULTS

4320 publications were screened by title and abstract and 45 of 175 full publications screened were included. Grey literature searching identified an additional three publications. Therefore, 48 publications relating to ADSs were eligible for inclusion. Although a relatively large evidence base was identified as part of the current SR, the eligible studies were inconsistent in terms of their design and the format of reporting of outcomes. The studies demonstrate that both pharmacy and ward-based ADSs offer benefits over traditional manual dispensing methods in terms of clinical and economic outcomes. The primary benefits following implementation of an ADS include reductions in medication errors, medication administration time and costs. Studies examining optimisation/inventory management strategies/refill programmes for these systems suggest that optimal implementation of the ADS is required to ensure that clinical success and economic benefits are maximised.

CONCLUSIONS

The published evidence suggests positive impacts of ADS and should encourage hospitals to invest in automation, with a global strategy to improve the reliability and the efficiency of the medication process. However, one of the key findings of the current SR is the need for further data from adequately powered studies reporting clinically relevant outcomes which would allow for robust, evidence-based recommendations on the return on investment of the technologies. These studies would probably contribute to a larger adoption of these technologies by European hospitals.

Effectiveness of the automated drug dispensing system: systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Objectives: to compare the effectiveness of the decentralized automated drug dispensing system with pockets. Methods: an effectiveness study based on a systematic review guided by the question: for patients admitted to hospital units, is the use of automated drug dispensing effective for reducing medication errors when compared to manual unit dose dispensing? The evidence was evaluated by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses instrument, used in the report. Results: the sample was composed of 15 studies and none of them directly compared both technologies; however, the meta-analysis showed that there is no difference in effectiveness between them [OR 1.03 95%CI (0,12 - 8,99)]. Conclusions: the conclusion is that the recommendation in favor of the automated dispensing system is weak.

[Quality indicators in the storage and dispensing process in a Hospital Pharmacy]

OBJECTIVE

To establish indicators for the evaluation of the quality of the storage and dispensing processes related to semiautomatic vertical (SAVCS) and horizontal (SAHCS) carousel systems.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Descriptive observational study conducted between January-December 2012. Definition of quality indicators, a target value is established and an obtained value is calculated for 2012.

RESULTS

Five quality indicators in the process of storage and dispensing of drugs were defined and calculated: indicator 1, error filling unidose trolleys: target (<1.67%), obtained (1.03%); indicator 2, filling accuracy unidose trolleys by using an SAVCS: target (<15%), obtained (11.5%); indicator 3, reliability of drug inventory in the process of drug entries using an SAHCS: target (<15%), obtained (6.53%); indicator 4, reliability of drug inventory in the picking process of orders replacement stock of clinical units using an SAHCS: target (<10%), obtained (1.97%); indicator 5, accuracy of the picking process of drug orders using an SAHCS: target (<10%), obtained (10.41%).

CONCLUSIONS

Establishing indicators has allowed the quality in terms of safety, precision and reliability of semiautomatic systems for storage and dispensing drugs to be assessed.