Automated Medication Transfer Between a Pharmacy Dispensing System and a Mobile D

描述(由申请人提供)：Vecna Technologies，Inc.(Vecna)是医院自动化、系统集成和机器人领域的市场领先者，该公司认为QC Bottm是一种与医院电子医疗记录(EMR)开放标准集成的自动化移动药物安全存储和交付单元，有巨大的机会将自动化药房配药系统的好处扩展到医院的其他部分。QC Bot将通过直接与药房配药系统接口，并安全可靠地将药物交付到单位护理站或管理点，关闭从CPOE进入到用药的处方履行的自动化循环，将自动化药房的好处与当前成功的智能橱柜和条形码扫描系统的好处融合在一起。虽然目前的电子药物跟踪和会计系统在患者安全方面已经显示出可量化的改善，但在处方履行链中仍然缺少一个重要的部分。从药物离开药房到给患者使用，手工流程仍然存在。这些人工步骤打破了自动化的监管问责链，这可能会给药物输送和管理过程带来危险的错误和低效。QC机器人将填补这条链中缺失的一环，确保正确的药物、正确的剂量、在正确的时间到达正确的患者手中。其结果将是改善患者的健康，并减少成本、伤害和死亡率。全面开发的自动化药物输送解决方案必须解决药房和输送系统之间的高效用药转移、输送系统从药房到病房护理的安全可靠移动，以及病房护理站的安全用药分配和高效的护士工作流程。对于这项拟议的第一阶段研究，Vecna将专注于第一阶段，即在药房站和自动递送系统之间高效地转移药物。有效地将药物转移到输送系统将需要适当的物理接口以及EMR集成软件接口。Vecna将与其合作者和支持者合作，包括Innovation Associates、布里格姆妇女医院和波士顿医疗中心，以安全、可靠和负责任的方式设计和测试将药物转移到QC Bot系统所需的必要软件和硬件解决方案的可行性。Vecna假设，如果成功，可行性研究和由此提出的协议、程序和机制将导致简化的第二阶段设计和原型阶段。在之前的SBIR项目中，Vecna在第一阶段至第三阶段取得了良好的成功记录，并欢迎有机会与NIH合作，进一步发展这一概念。18项专利中的3项c 2009年Vecna Technologies，Inc. 公共卫生相关性：该项目的长期目标是开发一种自动递送系统，它将作为药房配药系统和用药管理点之间的中介运行。它将关闭两点之间的自动化回路，从而显著减少或消除由于外部来源(如人为错误)而导致的可预防的错误。该系统的有效实施将为供应链中的责任提供透明度，并通过减少成本、伤害和死亡率来改善患者的健康。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Vecna Technologies, Inc. (Vecna), a market leader in hospital automation, systems integration, and robotics, sees a tremendous opportunity to extend the benefits of automated pharmacy dispensing systems throughout the rest of the hospital with the QC BotTM, an automated mobile medications secure storage and delivery unit with open standard integration to the hospital Electronic Medical Record (EMR). QC Bot will close the automation loop on prescription fulfillment from CPOE entry to medication administration by interfacing directly with the pharmacy dispensing system and safely and securely delivering the medications to the unit nursing station or point of administration, merging the benefits of the automated pharmacy with those of the current successful smart cabinet and barcode scanning systems. While the current electronic medication tracking and accounting systems have shown quantifiable improvements in patient safety, there is still an important missing piece in the prescription fulfillment chain. Manual processes still exist from the point that the medication leaves the pharmacy until it is administered to the patient. These manual steps break the automated accountability chain of custody which can introduce dangerous errors and inefficiencies into the medication delivery and administration process. The QC Bot will fill the missing link in this chain, ensuring that the right drug, in the right dose, gets to the right patient at the right time. The result will be improved patient health, and reductions in cost, injury, and mortality. A fully developed automated medication delivery solution must address the efficient medication transfer between the pharmacy station and delivery system, the safe and secure movement of the delivery system from the pharmacy to the unit nursing, and safe medication distribution and efficient nurse work- flow at the unit nursing station. For this proposed Phase I study, Vecna will focus on the first stage, the efficient transfer of medication between the pharmacy station and the automated delivery system. Efficient medication transfer to the delivery system will require both a proper physical interface as well as an EMR integrated software interface. Vecna will work with its collaborators and supporters, including Innovation Associates, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Boston Medical Center, to design test the feasibility of the required software and hardware solutions necessary for the transfer of medication to a QC Bot system in a safe, secure, and accountable manner. Vecna hypothesizes that the feasibility studies and resultant proposed protocols, procedures, and mechanisms, if successful, will lead to a streamlined Phase II design and prototyping stage. Vecna has a strong record of success in Phases I - III in previous SBIR projects and welcomes the opportunity to work with NIH on developing this concept further. 3 of 18 Proprietary c 2009 Vecna Technologies, Inc. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The long term goal of this project is to develop an automated delivery system that will operate as intermediary between a pharmacy dispensing system and the point of administration for medication. It will close the automation loop between the two points, thereby significantly reducing or eliminating preventable errors due to external sources, such as human error. Effective implementation of the system will provide transparency for accountability in the supply chain and improve patient health by reducing costs, injuries, and mortality.