RFID on the Leading Edge of Today’s Hospital Pharmacy

MEPS Real-Time, Inc. (mepsrealtime.com), a leading innovator of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) solutions for pharmacy automation and inventory management, will sponsor a key poster session and an Eat ‘N Earn session at the California Society for Health-System Pharmacists Seminar at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square from Oct. 30 through Nov. 2.

The poster session will feature Douglas L. Johnston, Director of Pharmacy at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas, Calif. Johnston will present research and findings from a Time and Motion Study on the impact of workflow automation and RFID technology on staff time and medication errors for kit and tray replenishment tasks in the hospital pharmacy.

“As workflows within hospital pharmacies continue to increase, it is critical to incorporate systems and processes that work toward eliminating errors, which can have a devastating impact on the health and safety of patients,” said Johnston. “RFID systems for medication inventory, such as those from MEPS Real-Time®, have demonstrated without a doubt that hospital pharmacies can achieve higher levels of efficiency while also improving patient safety.”

The poster session will be held on Fri., Oct. 31, from 11:10 a.m. to 2:10 p.m. at the Intelliguard® RFID Solutions booth, #403/405. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet Johnston and ask questions regarding his hospital pharmacy expertise and the recent research.

Eat ‘N Earn Session: Medication Management is Critical for Patient Safety

Additionally, MEPS® is sponsoring an Eat ‘N Earn session on Sat., Nov. 1, featuring Steve Wenger, Senior Clinical Pharmacist and System Administrator for Automated Dispensing at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, Calif. Wenger is responsible for operational improvement of the central pharmacy with a focus on eliminating medication errors, increasing productivity, improved inventory control, dose standardization of medications, and timely delivery of medications utilizing manual and automated systems.

Wenger’s session will offer valuable education on how medication management and oversight by the in-patient pharmacy plays a crucial role in supporting patient safety. This learning session will teach how using RFID to automate tedious, manual error-prone processes impacts staff reprocessing time, tray errors and workflow efficiency. Wenger will present findings of a Process Improvement Study assessing the impact of using smart RFID technology.

The Eat ‘N Earn session will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Exhibitor Theater. It includes a complimentary lunch and is eligible for one hour of CPE credit. Because seating at Exhibitor Theater is extremely limited, interested attendees are encouraged to pre-register by visiting http://www.cshp.org/ig, and picking up tickets at the MEPS Real-Time, Inc. booth #403/405 in the Exhibit Hall.

Live Demonstrations of MEPS® Intelliguard® RFID Solutions for Critical Inventory

During the entire CSHP Seminar, MEPS® will offer live demonstrations in booth #403/405, of its Intelliguard® Kit and Tray Management System, an automated RFID-enabled kit checking solution. The Intelliguard® Kit and Tray Management System uses advanced RFID technology to automate medication inventory management and replenishment. With the ability to read high-density trays, multi-layer tackle boxes and overlapping kit labels, this revolutionary system can scan more than 150 medications in a matter of seconds to speed the replenishment process and ensure accuracy of inventory with nothing missing and nothing expired.

MEPS® Intelliguard® RFID Solutions provide real-time visibility of high-value, critical dose medication inventory, reduce costs and ensure that the right drugs in the right doses are delivered when and where they are needed. These RFID solutions are on the leading edge of the change necessary to support efficiency and improve patient safety through optimized medication inventory levels; better tracking of missing, expired, soon-to-expire and recalled drugs; support and readiness for regulatory requirements; and faster and more accurate inventory replenishment.

About CSHP

The California Society of Health-System Pharmacists (CSHP) is a non-profit professional association established to serve the needs of hospital and health-system pharmacists. Representing over 4,500 members who practice clinical pharmacy and specialized medicine, CSHP is the largest state association for health-system pharmacists. CSHP members share a common mission - to promote wellness, patient safety and the optimal use of medication.

About MEPS Real-Time, Inc. and Intelliguard® RFID Solutions for Critical Inventory™

Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif., MEPS Real-Time, Inc. (mepsrealtime.com) is a leading innovator of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) solutions for pharmacy automation and inventory management. Its suite of Intelliguard® RFID Solutions offers unprecedented real-time visibility of high-value, critical-dose drug inventory to reduce costs through inventory management and monitoring of expiration dates, NDCs, lot numbers and temperature; increase staff efficiency by eliminating manual counting and item-level scanning through automation; improve patient safety through medication error prevention; and enhance diversion prevention with embedded security features. Intelliguard® RFID Solutions include Kit and Tray Management, Inventory Management and Vendor Managed Inventory Systems.

MEPS®, MEPS Real-Time® and Intelliguard® are registered trademarks and RFID Solutions for Critical Inventory is a trademark of MEPS Real-Time, Inc.