Addressing the Top 10 Medication Safety Hazards with Automated Dispensing Cabinet (ADC) Use

Len Hom
Director, Product Marketing, Point of Care

While there are many benefits to automated dispensing cabinets (ADC), such as increased inventory control and efficiency in drug dispensing practices – limits on configuration and functionality combined with underutilization of available safety features can pose serious risks.

It's been shown there are common practitioner biases associated with the use of healthcare technology, such as systems and environments. The most influential factor includes human interface capabilities in an application or system, significantly affecting how users interact with it. This is especially true when it comes to automated dispensing cabinets.

We're excited to welcome Christina Michalek, BSc Pharm, RPh, FASHP, Medication Safety Specialist, and Susan Paparella, MSN, RN, Vice President, from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) for an interactive discussion at Omnicell Illuminate 2021 about 10 common medication safety risks related to ADC system use.

Healthcare practitioner biases with technology can lead to inherent risks, including staff trying workarounds, shifting behaviors, and complacency, thus leading to errors. Reducing the risk of error is especially imperative in this pandemic. Christina and Susan will share the latest updates affecting the world of medication management and how to address the top 10 medication safety hazards with ADC use.

They will also cover guidelines and tips developed by ISMP to help streamline medication dispensing processes to safely treat patients and ultimately improve patient care overall. The discussion will cover topics including storage configurations, medication security, drug search functionality, and managing medications in the OR.

In the end, safe ADC use must be fundamental. Be sure to attend this important, CE-accredited session on Tuesday, Oct. 5 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. PDT to learn more about these ISMP recommendations from two of the leading safety experts in the industry. The discussion will include:

• Learning from the experiences of others about preventable events
• Creating awareness of technology biases
• Sharing examples in safety huddles and report events
• Optimizing functionality
• Using the guidelines from ISMP to enhance your ADC safety profile

Register today at Omnicell Illuminate 2021.