Singing River Health System Selects Advanced Pharmacy Automation Solutions To Ensure Safer, More Efficient Drug Dispensing
Denver, CO - The Singing River Health System (SRHS), comprised of two hospitals - Singing River Hospital in Pascagoula, MS., and Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, MS. - are both installing an advanced automated drug management system manufactured by Swisslog, a leading provider of pharmacy automation solutions.
Singing River Hospital and Ocean Springs Hospital will each have a PillPick system, which automatically packages, stores and dispenses unit dose medications in bar coded packages. The system packages tablets and capsules, as well as odd-shaped items such as syringes, ampoules, vials and liquid cups, in bar coded unit-doses. These bar-coded bags are automatically transferred to a high-density pharmacy robot that can hold up to 26,400 unit doses. When needed, these bar-coded doses are pulled from the robot and assembled on a patented, flexible plastic ring, known as a PickRing, in any desired order: 24-hour patient administration, first dose administration or dispensing cabinet restock.
In addition, both hospitals will install a BoxPicker high-density automated medication storage and retrieval system that is analogous to a vertical carousel. Unlike carousels, BoxPicker has single-opening/loading drawers for secure access, no exposed moving parts for user safety and a picking rate that is far faster than carousels. In addition, this system can include a refrigeration compartment and can support USP 797 by providing product access to an ante room/clean room environment for compounding. BoxPicker offers total inventory control software that directly interfaces with hospital information systems.
"The decision to select PillPick and BoxPicker from Swisslog was the result of a careful review process by our interdisciplinary team," according to Madelline Collazo, Director of Pharmacy for SRHS. "It was the most advanced technology available in the market in pharmacy automation and will be the first of the newest generation of robotics installed in the state of Mississippi."
SOURCE: Singing River Health System (SRHS)