New automated medicine cabinets revolutionise hospital patient care
New automated cabinets for supplying medicines are now in place in the emergency departments at the county’s two acute hospitals providing safer, modern care for patients.
The new technology will increase efficiency and save time for staff, releasing more time for patient care – and support the timely discharge of patients from hospital.
The rollout of the automated pharmacy dispensing cabinets is part of transformation work to improve patient care and experience by The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. The Trust runs the Royal Shrewsbury and Princess Royal hospitals.
The secure cabinets require a fingerprint or password to access. Medicines are then digitally accessed and recorded.
Imran Hanif, Chief Pharmacist and Clinical Director of Medicines Optimisation, said: “This investment allows us to streamline the pharmacy supply service within the emergency departments.
“The automated service not only releases nurses’ time to care for patients, it means that medicines can be dispensed quicker helping to improve the flow of patients through the hospitals.”
He said the cabinets also increase patient safety, by supporting staff with dose calculations and checks for allergies.
“We will also be able to audit as we go along which will ensure that stock is available when it is needed, reducing waste, saving money and providing value for taxpayers,” said Imran.
Dr John Jones, Medical Director, said: “This investment supports our long-term ambition to deliver a better experience and excellent care for our patients.
“We would like to thank our teams who have been involved in the training and rollout of this new technology, which is already making a difference for patients.”
