Authors (including presenting author) :
LEE WY(1), FUNG WC(1), CHUI ST(1)
Affiliation :
(1) Central Nursing Division, Prince of Wales Hospital
Keyword 1: :
Smart medication cabinet
Keyword 2: :
Medication safety
Introduction :
Hospitals implement multiple measures to safeguard medication safety. To strengthen safety within closed loop medication system, storing each patient’s drugs in designated bins ensures accurate patient-drug matching, enhances traceability, and reduces wrong patient errors. At Prince of Wales Hospital, the “one-patient, one-bin” model has been standardized in drug trolley settings. However, when medications arrive from pharmacy, nurses manually check and place packages into correct bins, creating workload and risk of mismatch. In acute hospitals with high patient turnover, these steps lengthen the time required to locate medications, which may lead to delayed doses. To optimize workflow, PWH piloted a Smart Medication Trolley in a surgical ward, integrating the Inpatient Administration System (IPAS) and Pharmacy Management System (PMS) by scanning drug delivery codes to match patient specific drug bin that reduces manual sorting and improves efficiency.
Objectives :
The project aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of interfacing IPAS and PMS to establish a closed loop, automated workflow from pharmacy to bedside. Objectives were: - Streamlining workflow by reducing time spent on sorting and searching medications. - Strengthening medication safety through patient specific storage and electronic verification.
Methodology :
The smart medication trolley was custom designed for clinical use, accommodating oral and injectable medications for up to 15 patients. Developed through collaboration among nurses, pharmacists, IT colleagues, and vendors, the interface between IPAS and PMS was established. Each drug bin is assigned to a patient during admission or transfer by scanning the hospital number (HN). When medications arrive from the pharmacy, scanning the QR code retrieves a unique delivery code linked to the patient’s HN. The assigned bin opens automatically, allowing staff to place medication securely. Patient transfers, discharges, or bed changes are updated in real time via Admission, Discharge, and Transfer (ADT) data, with alerts displayed. During drug administration, scanning the patient’s HN unlocks the designated bin, streamlining workflow and enhancing safety.
Result & Outcome :
The Smart Medication Trolley prototype has been validated, and will be piloted in an 8 patient cubicle in a surgical ward for clinical workflow. This project represents an initial step in leveraging system interfacing to enhance medication safety through accurate patient bin matching. Future integration with Inpatient Medication Order Entry (IPMOE) to enable automated bin unlocking during drug administration, can ensure a closed loop workflow that strengthens efficiency, traceability, and reduces errors.
