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DefinitionAutomated dispensing is a system being implemented in today's pharmacies nationwide. Itinvolves the use of machines pre- stocked with drugs that are programmed to automaticallydispense physicians orders upon request. Automated dispensing is a pharmacy practice inwhich a device fills prescriptions and dispenses medications. Cabinets that can dispensehundreds of different medications are available from various manufacturers. Members of the

pharmacy community have been utilizing this technology since the 1980s, and companies areconstantly refining and improving it to meet changing needs within the industry. Many hospitalsand healthcare plans have adopted this technology for use in their pharmacies and on theirwards.

AdvantagesSome of the advantages include improved efficiency, enhanced safety, and improved useof space.When a prescription is dropped off at the drop off window, either a pharmacist or a pharmacytechnician must input the order into a computer to generate a label. Then they have to walk tothe stock area and pick the right drug and strength and bring it back to the counter area, whereit is counted and placed in a vial that is capped and labeled.

1. Reduces ErrorsSeveral goals can be met through the use of automated dispensing. The first is a reduction ofhuman errors, such as dispensing the wrong medication, dispensing an improper amount of themedication or failing to label medications properly. This can help with errors for both inpatientand outpatient medications. Another benefit is an improvement in efficiency, which can be amajor concern in a busy pharmacy; using an automated dispensing system can speed theprocess of filling prescriptions while cutting down on costs. This technology also can be used toautomatically log medications, users of the equipment and inventory.2. Bedside Use

At the bedside, automated dispensing can be used to manage medications for an inpatient whoneeds many medications. Access is restricted to authorized users, such as nurses, who areable to access medications as needed for the patient. Errors still can occur, because medication

can be brought in from outside or might be used improperly when it comes from the cabinet, butthe frequency of errors tends to be reduced overall, increasing patient safety.3. Helpful at Nursing Stations

A nursing station also can utilize an automated dispensing cabinet so that nurses can accesscommon medications quickly and easily. This cuts down on trips to the pharmacy or to a storagecloset elsewhere on the ward, making the nursing staff more efficient. In the case of cabinets onwards, pharmacy employees can periodically fill the cabinet based on usage needs. The cabinetalso can maintain electronic records that can be used to signal the need for a refill and to trackactivity on the ward.4. Efficient for PharmaciesPharmacies also use medication dispensing technology to fill prescriptions. Some systems canbe entirely automatic, filling a container with the proper amount when the pharmacy receives a

prescription or refill order. The system can label the medication and put it out for a pharmacist toinspect and approve before releasing it to the patient. These systems can reduce the amount ofwork for pharmacy staff members, allowing them to focus on more complicated tasks thatcannot be completed by an automated system.

BenefitsThis kind of innovation provides lower cost of operation, lower cost of maintenance and supportand simpler and user-friendly software. Moreover, automated dispensing helps in the preventionof open access to storerooms during weekends and/or holidays, and it will eventually do away

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with labor cost, monitoring cost and replenishment cost. It also prevents inaccurate transactionsand unaccounted deliveries. Reduction in costs due to out-of-stock products, emergency ordersand production delays may also occur.

Automated Dispensing Machines have several major advantages over traditional pharmacydelivery systems.

First, the most commonly needed pharmaceuticals are already present at the point ofcare and do not need to be sent or transported from main pharmacy stores, a time andlabor intensive process. This can save considerable time in the daily workflow of nurses.

Second, controlled substances remain in a secure lockbox until needed and access tothe vault is secured by multi-factor authentication and audit trails to prevent waste anddrug diversion.

Third, patient charges and inventory control tasks are simplified in an automateddispensing system and "lost charges" are much reduced.

Finally, the ADM can provide clinical decision support to improve patient safety---providing drug-allergy alerts, drug-drug interactions, advise on high risk medication(heparin, insulin) and avoid confusion with "sound alike" medications.

Disadvantages1. It has a risk of choosing the wrong medications.2. Wrong storage of medication with look alike names or packaging.3. It does not prevent all drug dispensing and administration errors.4. Order entry errors5. System failure6. Machine defects. No machine will run forever without shorting out. If the pharmacy

doesn't have some sort of back up system installed to manually keep tract of inventoryand the system crashes, all the data will be lost.

7. Too costly8. Product defects9. Less man power; may cause unemployment

References:http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-automated-dispensing.htmhttp://www.informatics-review.com/wiki/index.php/Automated_dispensing_machineshttp://essaysforstudent.com/print.html?essay=27067http://www.articlesalley.com/article.detail.php/92935/198/Gadgets_and_Gizmos/Technology/3

8/Important_Reasons_for_Use_of_Automated_Dispensing_Machineshttp://www.pjonline.com/pdf/hp/200403/hp_200403_automateddispensing02.pdf

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