Omnicell Announces New Guided Packing Software Designed to Increase Packing Accuracy of SureMed Multimed Blister Cards which Improve Patient Adherence
Increasing the Accuracy of Hand Packing for Pharmacists Helps Scale Adherence Programs
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Omnicell, Inc. (NASDAQ: OMCL), a leading provider of medication and supply management solutions and adherence tools to health care systems and pharmacies, today announced general availability of its latest medication adherence solution, the SureMed™ by Omnicell® Guided Packing software. This cloud-based software is designed to increase pharmacists' accuracy in filling SureMed multiple medication blister cards, which can improve medication adherence for patients on complex medication regimens. At launch, the software will interface with QS1, one of the most widely used pharmacy information systems (PIS), and is planned to integrate with additional systems later this year.
Along with the Guided Packing software, Omnicell now offers a perforated version of the SureMed blister card, which enables individual blisters to be separated for convenience and travel. The Guided Packing software supports the use of perforated cards by providing a consolidated label that includes patient-specific information, color images of the medications and dosing instructions on each individual blister. The SureMed blister cards are Class B certified—assuring high quality standards—and include easy-to-follow, clearly marked days of the week and dosage times, greatly increasing the likelihood of patient medication adherence.i
Today, poor medication adherence in the U.S. is one of the largest public health issues, totaling over $105 billion in avoidable costs annually.ii More than 90% of Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy, making the pharmacist essential in providing face-to-face weekly or monthly support for medication management.iii Patients are increasingly turning to local pharmacists for assistance in managing their medication regimens. Offering medication adherence packaging such as SureMed by Omnicell is a key way pharmacies can differentiate themselves for patients.
The SureMed Guided Packing software helps pharmacies provide adherence packaging services quickly and with minimal investment. The software provides a web-based application that can be accessed from virtually any workstation in the pharmacy to improve the process for hand packing the SureMed blister cards. Rather than spending time identifying the most effective method to fill the blister cards, users are guided by the software with step-by-step procedures. Integration with the PIS eliminates the need for double data entry. The software allows pharmacists to focus on patient-facing activities due to greater confidence in the accuracy of their hand packing procedures.
Highlights of the software include bar coded workflow, which enhances accuracy of medication dispensing; a visual fill matrix that identifies medication placement instructions; and packing error information. The software also enables the consolidated labeling information to be printed directly onto the SureMed Guided Packing blister card. A co-branding option allows pharmacies to include their logo on the front of the SureMed cards in order to stand out from their competition.
"As a pharmacist, I look forward to working with my patients to help reach their personalized health goals, which often can be achieved by better managing their current conditions. Offering adherence packaging to appropriate patients helps me create a patient for life because they can't imagine going back to the old way of managing their care," said Shawn Nairn, community pharmacy and owner, Hometown Pharmacy. "Integrating Guided Packing software in my pharmacy has allowed me to increase the productivity of my staff, while also improving accuracy and quality."
"As we help pharmacists strengthen their patient-facing solutions, we are committed to enhancing workflows while enabling more face time with patients," said Troy Hilsenroth, vice president and general manager of global automation and medication adherence at Omnicell. "We are pleased to be able to offer increased options and flexibility to our pharmacy partners as they look to scale their adherence programs. Guided Packing is the latest step in this trajectory, helping to make hand packing more accurate for optimal patient safety."
About Omnicell
Since 1992, Omnicell (NASDAQ: OMCL) has been creating innovative solutions to improve patient care, anywhere it is delivered. Omnicell is a leading supplier of comprehensive automation and business analytics software for medication and supply management across the entire health care continuum—from the acute care hospital setting, to post-acute skilled nursing and long-term care facilities, to the patient's home.
Approximately 4,000 customers worldwide use Omnicell automation and analytics solutions to increase operational efficiency, reduce medication errors, deliver actionable intelligence and improve patient safety. The recent acquisition of Aesynt adds distinct capabilities, particularly in central pharmacy and IV robotics, creating the broadest medication management product portfolio in the industry.
The Omnicell SureMed solution provides innovative medication adherence packaging to help reduce costly hospital readmissions. In addition, these solutions enable approximately 7,000 institutional and retail pharmacies worldwide to maintain high accuracy and quality standards in medication dispensing and administration while optimizing productivity and controlling costs.
For more information about Omnicell, Inc. please visit www.omnicell.com.
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i Lee JK, et al, JAMA, December 6 2006 Vol 296, No. 21.
ii http://www.cdc.gov/primarycare/materials/medication/docs/medication-adherence-01ccd.pdf
iii National Association of Chain Drug Stores. 2012. Statement of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores for U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee Personnel Subcommittee Hearing on FY2013 Defense Authorization. p. 2. www.nacds.org/pdfs/pr/2012/3_28_SASC_TRICARE_comments.pdf
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SOURCE Omnicell, Inc.
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