Improving OR Control – Delivering a Medication Management Standard of Care

Mary Selzo, RPh
Practicing Pharmacist and Senior Clinical Product Manager, Omnicell

The operating room is one of the most intense and dynamic environments in any health system. It is also one of the more costly areas of operation, representing 40 percent of a hospital’s expense, despite being one of the highest revenue-generating functions.

While the first priority is patient care, there are critical factors in medication management within the perioperative and operating room settings that require the attention of anesthesiologists and pharmacy to ensure accountability. With large gaps in inventory visibility, tracking chain of custody, and diversion management, leveraging technology to support medication distribution in these settings has become a high priority.

I recently joined Dr. Patrick Guffey, Chief Medical Information Officer, Children’s Hospital Colorado to discuss the challenges of medication management and the benefits of automated anesthesia cabinets during the Omnicell Illuminate 2020 session, “Improving OR Control – Delivering a Medication Management Standard of Care.”

We discussed the current pain points within medication management across operating rooms and perioperative settings and shared real-life examples of medication errors and diversion incidents. We shared the keys to balancing time restraints and safety in procedural areas, and showcased the efficiencies automation can create to support patient safety and optimize cost.

With every minute in the OR costing $50 – $100, it’s more important than ever to understand the benefits of enhanced workflows. Omnicell’s automated dispensing technology is saving up to 20 percent of time spent at the cabinet through new waste workflows (based on Omnicell customer data).

Visit omnicell-illuminate.com for updates on accessing a replay of this session and the full slate of Omnicell Illuminate breakout sessions, interactive demos, and other insightful learning opportunities.

DISCLAIMER

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author(s). These views are always subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time and may not be held in perpetuity.