Press Release: Automated Dispensing Cabinet Improving Patient Safety at Odense University Hospital

Photo: Automated dispensing cabinets allow for more efficient and safer pharmaceutical processes within hospitals. Pharmacists Birgit Strøjer Schmidt, Carina Højgaard Fuglsang and Susanne Pedersen participated the pilot trial at the Odense University Hospital.

Odense University Hospital in Denmark has purchased an automated dispensing cabinet from the Finnish medical technology company NewIcon. The automated dispensing cabinet in Odense is the first of its kind in Denmark.

Danish hospitals are currently investing heavily in technology, in areas such as automation and traceability. The eMED ICON automated dispensing cabinet purchased from NewIcon will support Odense University Hospital’s vision for the development of pharmaceutical services: ‘The right medicine, from the right hand, in the right patient, on time’.

Denmark is set to have fewer hospitals in the future, with those remaining being more specialised. Hospitals are looking to develop their operations, in particular through the use of new technologies. The objective of the reorganisation of Danish hospitals is to improve the quality of patient care whilst reducing public expenditure.

Automated dispensing cabinets allow for more efficient and safer pharmaceutical processes within hospitals. The cabinets improve the storage and dispensation safety of medicines, as well as their traceability. The use of automation also minimises the risk of human error and irregularities. Initial user experiences amongst nurses have been encouraging.

Trials guaranteed ease of use

Last spring, NewIcon Oy began a pilot trial, sponsored by the Danish innovation network RoboCluster, in which nurses tested the eMED ICON automated dispensing cabinet in the emergency department of Odense University Hospital. The aim of the test period was to demonstrate that the automated dispensing cabinet is of real benefit in developing both occupational and patient safety.

The initial results were promising, with almost all users expressing satisfaction with the cabinets. The nurses involved felt that even a short instructional briefing was sufficient training in how to use the cabinet. A Danish-language user interface was also designed for the cabinets, to prevent any potential linguistic issues.

Collaboration is set to continue as a part of Patient@home – the largest international initiative of its kind in Denmark. Dozens of partners from a range of different companies are involved in Patient@home project collaboration, however NewIcon is the only Finnish company partaking.

In addition to those in Odense, users at a number of hospitals in Finland have also reported positive experiences with the automated dispensing cabinets.

‘The nurses using the cabinet feel that it allows for easier and smoother dispensation of medicine than before, with the indicator lights providing clear usage guidance. The automated dispensing cabinet’s speed and safety in selecting medications was also viewed as a positive factor’, explains NewIcon’s Danish representative, Key Account Manager Hanne Hansen-Nord.