JOURNAL ARTICLE

Comprehensive workflow evaluation to improve medication distribution to the emergency department in an academic medical center.

  • Published In: American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 2024, v. 81, n. 17. P. e471 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Mills, Melanie J; Martschenko, Alec; Gomez, Keven; Hooker, Madison L; Pastoor, Charlotte; Vest, Tyler A 3 of 3

Abstract

This article focuses on evaluating a new pharmacy workflow designed to improve the delivery of patient-specific medications from a hospital's central pharmacy to the emergency department (ED). The intervention involved batching medication preparation and distribution hourly, 1 to 2 hours before scheduled administration times, to reduce the storage time of medications in the ED and minimize losses due to frequent patient transfers. The study found that this workflow significantly decreased the percentage of redispensed medications—from 21.6% to 9.2%—and reduced missing-medication messages sent by nursing staff. These improvements benefited both pharmacy and nursing staff by reducing duplicate work and medication waste, potentially enhancing patient care through more timely medication administration.

Additional Information

  • Source:American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. 2024/09, Vol. 81, Issue 17, pe471
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Nursing and Allied Health
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:1079-2082
  • DOI:10.1093/ajhp/zxae084
  • Accession Number:179145844
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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