• Technology
   
• Multi-step Safety
   
• Heathcare Provider Benefits
   
• Pharmacy Benefits
   

Automated Medication Dispenser™

Multi-step Safety
Up to 7,000 fatalities a year are attributed to a variety of prescription errors. An analysis of prescription practices indicates there are forty (40) points in the prescription writing and filling process where an error can occur. The Automated Medication Dispenser™ vault and dispensing system is designed to address the dispensing error points with a variety of safety checks that ensure the correct medication is dispensed to the correct patient, thereby reducing the provider's risk. The AMD and its associated prescription writing software reduce potential errors in the following unique ways:

• The prescription writing software increases prescription accuracy and legibility. It increases patient safety by cross-checking patient allergies and medication interactions. Dosage and quantity are electronically monitored. When a medication is selected the software displays the mechanism of metabolism and interaction with pregnancy data. Most of this is not usually available while writing prescriptions by hand.
• To minimize theft and diversion, a patient must be identified by more than one method. Both an insurance card and a credit/debit card are required for the AMD to dispense medication.
• During the process the correct bottle is identified by location on the shelf, by size, by barcode number, by lot number, and by expiration date. The barcode is read four times in each phase of identification. Any errors identified in the process result in that bottle being placed in a safe location for inspection and the device selecting the next available bottle.
• The system also has the capacity to maintain and update a database which will confirm that any new prescriptions do not cause a negative reaction with existing medications. It will also check new prescriptions for potential negative reactions based on the patient's known history.