University of Kansas Hospital Chooses McKesson Automation Technology for Prepackaged Oral Solid Medications

The University of Kansas Hospital Authority (KUHA), today announced it will implement the new PROmanager-Rx^™ automated medication dispensing system designed to increase accuracy, reduce labor, and trim medication carrying costs. The PROmanager-Rx is the only pharmacy robot that stores and dispenses oral solid medications pre-packaged by the manufacturer in unit-dose, bar-coded form, increasing patient safety while reducing costs.

KUHA, one of the Midwest’s most advanced teaching hospitals, was looking to offset significant increases in drug dispensing volume while strengthening its patient-centric medication approach.

“We’ve experienced a 100% increase in daily drug dispensing volume in the past five years, and we were looking for a solution to address current demand and balance increasing volume moving forward,” said Rick Couldry, KUHA director of pharmacy. “PROmanager-Rx adds both capacity and flexibility. Its design enables us to install it in our pharmacy with minimal disruption and renovation, and the solution also supports our bar-code medication foundation and patient-centric dispensing model.”

KUHA already utilizes several of McKesson’s flexible automated dispensing solutions, including the ROBOT-Rx^® and MedCarousel® pharmacy dispensing systems, and AcuDose-Rx® medication dispensing cabinets. Adding the automated medication dispensing system will enable nearly 100% of the pharmacy’s daily scheduled and first-dose dispensing to be fully automated and verified via bar-code scanning before leaving the pharmacy. The patient-specific medications will be delivered to locked medication cabinets located outside of each patient room for nurses to access and administer, consistent with KUHA’s objective to position medications as closely to the patient as possible.

“With full automation in place, our pharmacists will have more time to address our patients’ clinical needs, and also time to prepare patient-specific doses for our neonatal intensive care patients,” added Couldry.

In hospital pharmacies, where floor space is limited, PROmanager-Rx can store 12,000 medication doses in a compact 9 x 12-ft area. Using bar code-driven robotics, PROmanager-Rx selects medications prescribed for specific patients, scanning every dose and each patient bar code for the greatest possible safety and accuracy. PROmanager-Rx features sophisticated order processing and inventory management software to increase inventory turns, manage expired and returned medications, and streamline wholesale ordering.

“Many hospitals look to pharmacy automation to minimize the potential for error and waste from various points across the medication supply chain,” said Clay Courville, vice president, McKesson Automation. “The team at KUHA has gone a step further by redistributing pharmacy talent to areas where it can create the most positive impact on patient care.”

Manufacturer unit-dose, or blister-type packaging like that dispensed by PROmanager-Rx, is widely available from multiple sources, and is recognized by governing bodies and professional associations as the safest type. Using blister packaging also enables hospitals to significantly reduce on-site medication repackaging requirements, saving pharmacy labor and costs.

Unit-dose packages produced by SKY Packaging, a McKesson company, are certified for use in PROmanager-Rx. Through the Fulfill-RxSM electronic data interchange software, PROmanager-Rx can be integrated with McKesson’s pharmaceutical distribution system to reduce drug inventory costs and associated labor.

More information about the PROmanager-Rx system, including background materials, images, video and audio interviews, is available at www.mckesson.com/promanagerrxnews.

About the University of Kansas Hospital Authority

The University of Kansas Hospital is the region's premier academic medical center, providing a full range of care. The hospital is affiliated with the University of Kansas Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health, and their various leading edge research projects. The constantly growing facility contains 606 staffed beds and serves more than 26,000 inpatients annually. The University of Kansas Hospital’s comprehensive heart program is ranked 37th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and is housed in the state of the art Center for Advanced Heart Care. Other U.S. News & World Report ranked programs include Ear, Nose and Throat, Kidney Disorders, Urology, Pulmonary and Geriatrics. The cancer program is part of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, based in the region’s largest outpatient cancer facility, the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion, located in Westwood, Kansas, 1 ½ miles from the main hospital. The hospital has received Magnet nursing designation, reflecting the quality of care throughout the hospital, an honor awarded to only 3.5 percent of the hospitals nationwide. The hospital also houses the region's only burn center, liver transplant program and the area's only nationally accredited Level I Trauma Center. For more information, visit http://www.kumed.com.

About McKesson

McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 14th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes, and improving the quality and safety of patient care. Over the course of its 178-year history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payers; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payers designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit http://www.mckesson.com.