Omnicell Automated Dispensing Cabinets found to significantly improve medicine management process for nurses at Southport & Ormskirk NHS Trust

- Survey of nurses reveals high satisfaction rates with Omnicell technology

A new work-based project study has found installation of Omnicell automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) at Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust has improved medication management processes for nursing staff.

It is estimated by the Royal College of Nursing that 40% of nursing time is spent managing medication. The aim of this study, carried out by Pharmacy Computer Systems Manager, Simon Bunting as part of his MBA, was to analyse and evaluate the opinions of nurses on how Omnicell ADCs impacted patient safety, medicines safety and workflow. The cabinets were installed at the Trust in autumn 2020 in both the A&E and ITU, while this study was done over three weeks in April 2021.

As primary users of ADCs, nurses were asked to complete a survey questionnaire with the results showing the transition from manual to automated medicine management had been a success.

Results highlighted that:

• 79.5% of nurses were overall satisfied with Omnicell technology
• a significant 82% felt it was easy to use
• 89.7%, responded they were confident using the system
• 79.5% of nurses believed Omnicell technology improved patient safety
• 82% felt it had improved medicines safety and security
• 64% of nurses did not want to return to the old manual medicines stock system.

Time saving elements were also highlighted by nurses including a reduction in time spent checking controlled drugs. The results suggest that nurses felt that within 6 months of installation, Omnicell’s ADCs had already become integrated and accepted as part of the workflow.

Simon Bunting comments: “This outcome is extremely important when considering the scale of care delivered by Southport & Ormskirk NHS Trust. It provides acute care services to some 258,000 people, meaning that patient safety and efficient medicine management is paramount, especially given the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In 2019 the CQC highlighted that medicines management at the Trust needed to be improved, particularly around safe handling of medicines. This study indicates that with the help of automated technology, improvements are now being made in this area.

It is hoped that successful automation installations like this will encourage the investment in automation as a strategic move for the future of hospital innovation and to support the NHS digital transformation strategy.