Cerner CareAware RxStation Reduces Medication Error and Improves Efficiency

HARROGATE, United Kingdom - Advancing its commitment to patient safety, Cerner Limited is demonstrating its CareAware RxStation™ technology at the Healthcare Computing tradeshow. The automated medication dispensing machine is the first in Cerner’s line of CareAware™ connected devices.

“The CareAware RxStation demonstrates innovation in the medication process,” said David Sides, Cerner UK managing director. “RxStation allows for complete integration of the medication process, enabling healthcare organisations to provide a safer, quicker and more efficient patient experience.”

Recent reports about medication errors in the UK highlight the need for closed-loop medication systems. According to a 2000 study from the Department of Health (DoH), nearly 10,000 people every year are reported to have serious adverse reactions to drugs. A 2004 DoH report found that the direct cost to the NHS of medication errors in its hospitals could be as high as £200-400 million a year.

By automating medication ordering, verification, dispensing and administration, the CareAware RxStation device creates a closed-loop system that ultimately contributes to safer and more efficient treatment. The RxStation utilizes Cerner’s CareAware global device architecture, which directly connects medical devices to the electronic patient record, allowing the device to receive the same medication information as clinicians and infusing the device with appropriate knowledge of the care process.

Cerner will be demonstrating two of the RxStation offerings at the Healthcare Computing tradeshow: the RxStation 420 and the RxStation 430. Benefits of the devices include:

Decreased chances of medication loading errors and incorrect medication selection through the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology
Improved efficiency by utilising clinician-centric workflow that allows clinicians to cut redundant and time-consuming tasks out of the medication process
Elimination of manual reconciliation of medications ordered, dispensed and administered
Dispensing of temperature-sensitive medications through the 430 device’s optional built-in refrigeration module
In 2006, Cerner first introduced its CareAware global device architecture in the United States. In addition to RxStation, the CareAware family also includes the MDBus™, the Universal Serial Bus (USB) for connecting healthcare devices.