Medication Unit Dose
Automated Unit Dose Drug System
A major initiative now underway at NHS hospitals to enhance patient safety is the Automated Unit Dose Drug Distribution system, which will transform the way NHS pharmacies package and dispense oral solid medications, whether they are tablets or capsules. The latest technology in computerized unit dose packaging equipment and automated drug distribution arrived in 2008 and provides tablets and capsules packaged in individual dose packets for each patient. This computerized unit dose packaging system is combined with the latest automated dispensing cabinet technology for distribution of medications on nursing units.
The Automated Unit Dose system is well-regarded as a major innovation for the safe dispensing of medications for patients and this latest technology should have a substantial impact on quality care at the NHS. One of the advantages of using an automated dispensing cabinet is electronic monitoring and control of all the drugs in the cabinet. This enhances patient safety by increasing accountability.
In combination with this, a computer-generated Medication Administration Record (MAR) has been rolled out. The MAR is the document that nurses complete and sign when each dose of medication is administered to each patient. Staff training to move from the current manually-transcribed system to a computer-generated process is underway. This initiative ties in well with the NHS's gradual transition to a complete electronic health record.