Omnicell Launches New Automated Inventory Management System
At the forefront of technological advancement, Omnicell UK & Ireland, has launched a new automated inventory management system to process hospital supplies. Omnicell SupplyX Inventory Management System is specifically tailored around GS1 and Scan4Safety requirements, ensuring that Trusts are fully compliant with these newly introduced standards. It reinforces Omnicell’s position as a leading provider of medication and supply management solutions to the global healthcare market.
The new software builds upon Omnicell’s already successful open system and patient costing solutions and gives Trust’s a live dashboard of their entire supplies situation across all their sites. The data and intelligence can be accessed via a web based, unified dashboard and reporting tool. This is linked to the hospital’s reporting systems allowing Trust’s to control and report on all inventory transactional data, in real time at a per patient level. It is coupled with a handheld scanner for remote stock management and patient data capture.
The system improves the traceability of all medical supplies moving through hospitals and provides Trusts with real-time data at the touch of a button via something as simple as a mobile telephone. It eliminates unforeseen stock outs through re-orders based on current stock levels rather than weekly or monthly orders. It also ensures stock is rotated to reduce out-of-date waste including expiry tracking and automated supplier expiry alerts.
Patient GS1 compliant wristbands can be scanned by the system in a single action, minimising the risk of errors and providing positive patient identification, including name and date of birth, for comparison from the PAS or theatre management system. The GS1 patient identification number can be searched and referenced by the Trust in the event of a batch recall against any and all procedures that a patient may have had, saving staff the time of having to look through patient files manually.
Every individual store location’s GLN code is stored in the Omnicell database. Within each store and bin location are product barcodes which can be scanned to allow easy identification of the contents, allowing greater visibility of product location and utilisation.
Using the system will give Trusts a clearer picture of what is happening and where so they can make more informed financial decisions. The software allows Trusts to track and cost everything at a patient, procedure and consultant level, giving them an understanding of spend throughout departments so they can identify the most economic care pathways and drive efficiencies.
As well as improving patient safety in the event of a product recall, Omnicell SupplyX also eliminates nursing time spent on managing and ordering stock, ensuring their time can be redirected back into face-to-face patient care.
Omnicell prides itself in supplying customers with everything they need to get started with the software, this includes Omnicell handheld scanners, custom planning and installation, initial training and ongoing support with technical assistance.
Paul O’Hanlon, Managing Director of Omnicell UK & Ireland, comments: “As technology develops we have to find new ways to embrace it in order to reap the rewards of increased efficiency and accuracy. In today’s health service environment that means having accurate information at our fingertips so managers can use real-time, easily accessible information to make well informed decisions about stock and costings.
“At Omnicell our range of GS1 compliant solutions have been helping hospitals around the world to implement supplies and medication management plans for more than 20 years. As many hospitals join us on this journey, our primary concern is making sure that the benefits of new technology don’t fail because Trusts don’t have time to review the data they have at their fingertips.”
“Here at Omnicell, we are delighted to launch Omnicell SupplyX to automate the inventory management process for hospital supplies. We are committed to constantly developing our systems to ensure customers are always at the forefront of stock management and medication adherence.”
One Trust already using the new system is University Hospital Southampton. Chris Meayers-Norkett, Head of Supply Chain at the hospital comments:
“Being able to view data on a handheld device means we can investigate everything on the move and that gives a different degree of confidence. This new system is absolutely the way forward and it’s going to be an increasingly useful tool as we continue to roll it out with Omnicell.”
