OREANDA-NEWS. August 08, 2013. Jameson Health System, located north of Pittsburgh, has partnered with McKesson Automation to implement a closed-loop pharmacy automation solution that helps support quality and patient care while freeing pharmacy staff to focus on clinical care activities.

Building on its existing relationship with McKesson for pharmaceutical distribution, Jameson plans to implement a full suite of central pharmacy and point-of-care automation solutions. The new products will help Jameson's pharmacy to streamline workflow processes and reduce risk through greater visibility into the entire medication management process.

"McKesson was the only company that could support our pharmacy distribution model with a full solution set that will help us not only lay the foundation for bedside scanning of patient medications today, but also be flexible enough to adapt to our future needs," explained Ron Shollenberger, director of pharmacy, Jameson Health System.

McKesson Automation offers integrated pharmacy automation solutions that help hospitals and health systems support improved patient outcomes, build better businesses and manage ongoing change. With a deeper understanding of medication management and a system-wide approach, McKesson Automation helps health systems to better manage their pharmacy operations and inventory more safely and efficiently.

At the point of care, Jameson is implementing AcuDose-Rx® medication dispensing cabinets on patient floors, and it is deploying Anesthesia-Rx™ medication carts in the surgical suite. Designed to support quick, easy access to medications, nurses and anesthesiology professionals have fully embraced the new carts. "McKesson worked with us to gain a deeper understanding of our processes and identify a solution that will ultimately result in our staff having more time to focus on patient care," said Debra Perretta, RN, BSN, director, Quality, Jameson Health System.

AcuDose-Rx cabinets feature the exclusive RightStock™ inventory optimization functionality, which has been shown to reduce medication stock outs by up to 70 percent and also reduce the number and instances of expired medications. In addition, RightStock helps track medication usage, enabling pharmacies to reclaim up to one-third of cabinet space for fast-moving medications.

In the central pharmacy, Jameson is implementing PROmanager-Rx™. This bar code-driven robotics system is designed to fully automate the storage, dispensing, returns, and crediting of manufacturer-packaged, oral-solid unit doses. As a result, pharmacies can increase filling accuracy while reducing pharmacy labor. The MedCarousel® storage and dispensing system will help support better inventory management and improved productivity.

Jameson also plans to implement Fulfill-Rxsm, an electronic data interchange between McKesson pharmaceutical distribution centers and hospital automation solutions. Fulfill-Rx expedites ordering and synchronization of key formulary information, while bar-code-driven processes help reduce order receipt and restocking time.

"Our integrated product portfolio supports accountability for medications across the entire medication workflow, giving the pharmacy visibility at every step in the process," said Kraig McEwen, president of McKesson Automation. "It enables us to help customers optimize what they have in place today while strategically planning for the future."

New partnerships like Jameson demonstrate the continued value of McKesson distribution solutions and pharmacy automation solutions in providing high quality, cost-effective and efficient solutions that safely deliver the right medication closest to the patient.