ANMC Pharmacy installs new Pyxis system, improving patient safety
May 13, 2016Categories: Alaska Native Medical Center
ANMC is constantly working on improvements to our processes and procedures, especially those focused on the safety of our patients. The ANMC Pharmacy recently updated all Pyxis stations located in our clinics and inpatient areas, almost 80 stations throughout Anchorage and the Valley. The old systems were replaced by The Pyxis ES system, an automated medication dispensing system supporting decentralized medication management. The Pyxis ES will help ANMC clinicians safely and efficiently dispense medications, while minimizing risk of medication errors. The new software has a lot more safety features and is more patient centric, making it easier and more intuitive for our clinicians to use. For example, the new software streamlines medication retrieval processes, provides a comprehensive view of medication administration times and patient information. “I want to thank the hospital staff involved in the upgrade for their patience during the implementation,” said Sara Doran-Atchison, Quality Improvement Pharmacy Manager. “The new Pyxis ES system has several medication safety features that will make dispensing medications to patients safer.” Other new safety features include CUBIE® drawers, which promote safe medication use. The modular system helps reduce the risk of medication errors by restricting access to only one medication at a time, preventing nurses from selecting a medication from the wrong pocket. While medication errors are rare, mistakes in any health care setting do happen, and ANMC is deploying the latest technology available to make the incidence of errors very low, ensuring the highest level of safety for our patients.