UMass Memorial Medical Center in Massachusetts has selected the CytoCare™ robot from McKesson to automate the compounding of intravenous (IV) drugs. The robotic technology will enable the 830-bed facility to more safely prepare hazardous IVs, protecting both their patients and their staff from exposure risks.
“We were looking for a solution to ensure the right drug, dose and integrity of the product compounded, while preventing staff exposure to hazardous drugs. CytoCare provides just that.”
"Our pharmacy manually compounds about 4,800 IV products each month, and 11 pharmacists are dedicated to hazardous IV preparations," explained Roy Guharoy, Pharm.D., chief pharmacy officer and professor of medicine at UMass Memorial. "We were looking for a solution to ensure the right drug, dose and integrity of the product compounded, while preventing staff exposure to hazardous drugs. CytoCare provides just that."
CytoCare is the first and only automation solution for compounding hazardous IVs used for chemotherapy and monoclonal antibody therapy. It enables better patient care by significantly reducing the potential for manual compounding errors. The CytoCare solution is designed to improve staff safety by minimizing exposure to hazardous medications, and it increases efficiency by enabling optimal workflow. "Our decision to implement CytoCare supports our hospital's goals of achieving excellence in patient safety and optimal patient outcomes," added Alice Shakman, vice president of operations at UMass Memorial.
In addition to enhancing patient and pharmacist safety, CytoCare improves workflow efficiency while reducing costs so that valuable pharmacy resources can focus on other critical tasks. Its HL7 interfaces and intuitive software streamline order management and provide visibility into the work list, enabling pharmacists to effectively manage throughput and optimize medication usage.
The CytoCare solution also improves workflow by enabling pharmacies to more efficiently plan compounded sterile preparation schedules and coordinate resources. The product's continuous production flow feature will help UMass Memorial comply with quality standards and safety regulations.
"For many hospitals, compounded IVs are the last gap in the pharmacy automation process," said Stanton McComb, president, McKesson Automation. "We are extremely pleased to have been selected by UMass Memorial Medical Center, and we look forward to helping them to protect both their patients and their pharmacy staff."
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