Ochsner Health System Improves Safety Through Advanced Medication Management Technology

NEW ORLEANS, June 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Ochsner Health System today announced the contract signing for new technologies that will help improve medication safety by simplifying and standardizing the medication management process across its health system.

The CareFusion Pyxis^® ES platform is a combination of hardware and software that helps hospitals significantly reduce time for nursing and pharmacy to dispense and administer medications because of simpler, more efficient workflows. The system also eliminates the need for redundant documentation through direct synchronization with pharmacy, hospital and patient identity management systems. The system enables Ochsner Health System to have consistent medication management practices and policies across its multiple hospitals and clinics, which can help improve medication safety.

"For the information technology department, the Pyxis ES platform is a much more sophisticated solution," said Chris Belmont, chief information officer of Ochsner Health System. "The standardized platform uses one database, one interface and active directory connectivity that simplifies the IT implementation, maintenance and reporting for each dispensing cabinet and the system as a whole."

Deborah Simonson, assistant vice president of Pharmacy Services for Ochsner Health System said, "The Pyxis ES platform allows our pharmacists and technicians to improve medication safety through increased standardization from nursing floors to operating rooms and across our sites in a highly efficient manner."

Dawn Pevey Mauk, chief operating officer and chief nursing officer of Ochsner Medical Center-Baton Rouge and Ochsner Health System Nurse Executive Committee Chairperson added, "This new technology is a win for our patients and staff.  The new features included will allow for more efficient medication management, allowing us to focus on what we do best – providing our patients with the quality care they deserve."

Ochsner Health System will implement the following new technologies across seven hospitals and three health centers:

• Pyxis^® Enterprise Server: With the Pyxis Enterprise Server, Ochsner Health System can manage one dispensing system for the entire health system. This improvement allows its pharmacy to manage just one formulary in the Pharmacy Information System (PIS) and cascade the data to the Pyxis Enterprise Server, permitting the PIS to serve as the single source for the formulary. In addition, user management can be centralized with Active Directory, enabling single sign-on with standard hospital credentials. Both of these capabilities can help hospitals reduce data errors and eliminate redundant data entry for nursing, pharmacy and billing.
• Pyxis MedStation^® ES system: The Pyxis MedStation ES system is CareFusion's automated medication dispensing system built on the Pyxis ES platform using a robust, standardized set of hardware and software components.  The hardware features introduce a new standard in dispensing cabinet system supportability and reliability. The software platform enables simple, efficient workflows centered on the patient while improving clinical and medication management processes for pharmacy, nursing and staff. The user interface significantly reduces the number of steps in key workflows, such as decreasing the steps to dispense a medication by half.
• Pyxis^® Link:  The new Pyxis Link module with the Pyxis ES system provides functionality that allows nursing to remotely queue medications for removal at the Pyxis MedStation ES system or remotely waste medications following administration. With web-based access from anywhere— including the patient bedside—this system allows clinical decision making to move closer to the patient care cycle while saving time at the Pyxis MedStation system and simplifying post-administration workflow.
• Pyxis^® Anesthesia ES system: The Pyxis Anesthesia ES system extends the value of Ochsner Health System's investment in the Pyxis ES platform to the operating rooms (ORs) and procedural areas across its health system. Powered by the Pyxis Enterprise Server, the Pyxis Anesthesia ES system offers the same innovative centralized system management and enterprise-wide capabilities as the Pyxis MedStation ES system, including enhanced formulary and user management for pharmacy and improved system management for information technology (IT) departments. The redesigned Pyxis Anesthesia ES system provides simple, safe patient-centric workflows and security enhancements that promote hospital compliance efforts.

"For more than 20 years, Pyxis technologies have set the standard in automated dispensing to help clinicians deliver medication to patients efficiently and safely," said Rusty Frantz, senior vice president and general manager of Dispensing Technologies at CareFusion. "The Pyxis ES platform makes it even easier for Ochsner Health System to manage medications based on its unique size, scope, capacity and clinical workflows, giving them more time to focus on patient care."

About Ochsner Health System

Ochsner Health System is southeast Louisiana's largest non-profit, academic, multi-specialty, healthcare delivery system with eight hospitals and 38 health centers in Louisiana. Ochsner has been named the Consumer Choice for Healthcare in New Orleans for 17 consecutive years and is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News and World Report as a "Best Hospital" across 11 specialty categories. Ochsner employs more than 13,000 employees, over 850 physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts over 300 clinical research trials annually. Ochsner Health System is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About CareFusion Corporation

CareFusion (NYSE: CFN) is a global corporation serving the health care industry with products and services that help hospitals measurably improve the safety and quality of care. The company develops industry-leading technologies including Alaris^® infusion pumps, Pyxis^® automated dispensing and patient identification systems, AVEA^®, AirLife^® and LTV^® series ventilation and respiratory products, ChloraPrep^® products, MedMined^® services for data mining surveillance, V. Mueller^® surgical instruments, and an extensive line of products that support interventional medicine. CareFusion employs more than 15,000 people across its global operations. More information may be found at www.carefusion.com.

SOURCE CareFusion Corporation