THE BATTLEFORDS — A new pharmacy management system is changing how medications are given to patients in the Battlefords.
With the roll-out of the drug dispensing machines, called Pyxis MedStations, health-care workers can now provide faster and safer care.
Battlefords Union Hospital (BUH) is now one of the first hospitals in Saskatchewan to implement Pyxis med stations in every department. The Pyxis system allows nurses to access medications easily through a drug-dispensing machine, saving about three hours a day during busy shifts.
“This is the next step in medication delivery,” said Sarah Lynds, manager of pharmacy services for the Northwest at the relaunch on the ground floor at BUH Sept. 18. “We knew that that was the direction we wanted to go in our facility, and it was just a matter of trying to figure out how many units we could get fully serviced with the Pyxis.”
The new system also increases patient safety. Each medication has a special barcode, ensuring the right drug is given to the right patient. The system keeps track of expiration dates and alerts staff when supplies are low, reducing the chances of mistakes.
In the Emergency Department, a new fridge monitors vaccine temperatures and saves time on paperwork, allowing nurses to focus more on caring for patients.
In only one year, the project raised $916,000 through donations, making it the largest fundraising campaign in the hospital foundation's history.
“When we can enhance that healthcare or have those innovative technologies that can keep you here,” said Leanne Ducommun, executive director of Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation. “Health care is not only through the innovation, but being close to home, I also feel that's very important.”
Ducommun said the foundation is “humbled and honoured” by the community support.
“We knew what we could do. We didn't realize how quickly we could execute on it,” Ducommun said. “We were able to take a two-year project of fundraising, speed up that process and fundraising for a year, and then implement it down the road in less than six months.”
Saskatchewan Education Minister and Battlefords MLA Jeremy Cockrill was present at the relaunch ceremony, “(It’s) an opportunity for all of us, whether we live in the Battlefords or in the surrounding communities to get involved and continue to support the great work that the Foundation does, and our healthcare workers do as well.”
Lynds said the biggest complexity of the change in practice was “management.”
The Pyxis machines are now in every department, including pediatrics and chemotherapy, so all patients to have equal access to medications. More than 240 nurses and 20 pharmacy staff have been trained on the new system to make the transition smooth.
Pam MacCrimmon, a senior pharmacist at BUH with over 30 years of experience in pharmacy, said for eight months, her team built the machines from scratch before the big launch in June.
A staging area in the basement was being used to load medications into new machines. Four machines were set up for testing. Staff members were trained in groups of five or six, with four groups coming in each day, according to MacCrimmon.
“We always struggle with staff shortages, so we can use technology to get some more off our team so that they can move on and do other tasks.”
MacCrimmon stressed the importance of safety in medications, she said, the new change will help reduce errors at work.
Ducommun said she is just happy that the major project is now fully integrated into every department in the hospital, which, is a big commitment.
“I think the success of this campaign shows that this is what happens when you come together, great things happen."
