Charing Cross Hospital starts trial of “total” medicines system
London's Charing Cross Hospital is starting evaluation trials of a “total” computerised medicines system featured.
ServeRx is a computerised system for the management of medicines in hospital
from prescription to administration (PJ, 25 October 2003, p570). Doctors
use handheld touchscreen computers to prescribe medicines and a barcode
on the patient’s wristband has to be scanned for an appropriate
drawer in the drugs trolley to open.
Ann Jacklin, chief pharmacist, Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust, explained
that, although a pilot of the system had already gone live in one ward
at Charing Cross Hospital, the research team had been waiting for additional
UK software before beginning the evaluation of the system. Previously,
there had been no facility for discharge prescriptions on the system
and doctors had to handwrite discharge sheets. The discharge facility
had not been required on systems for the US and continental Europe.
Ms Jacklin told The Journal that the evaluation would be finished in
the autumn with results ready in the new year. Results would look at
medication errors, inventory control, staff time and staff and patient
satisfaction. She added that the study had been mentioned as an example
of how new technology should be properly evaluated rather than assumed
to benefit patients and the NHS.
The system was featured this week on the BBC programme Go Digital with
Ms Jacklin was quoted as saying: “We now zap our patients just
as if they were in the supermarket. We were worried whether patients
would mind being scanned like a tin of beans, but most of our patients
quite like it. They’re
familiar with the technology and enjoy the security they get knowing
that they’re being zapped.” |
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Pharmaceutical Journal
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