The medication manager: results of a medication at the bedside pilot in a pediatric teaching institution

Medication distribution is a complex system involving multiple disciplines. Workplace issues that include both pharmacy and nursing personnel must continuously strive to ensure patient safety amidst an increasingly demanding health care setting. Between 2000 and 2008, more than 46,000 articles have been published on quality assessment and patient safety with pediatric medication safety issues showing a steady increase.

A preimplementation and postimplementation review was conducted of a medication at the bedside pilot in 2 pediatric intensive care units. Pharmacy technicians were used to provide medication delivery to patient bedsides, and an analysis on the impact on nursing was conducted.

Implementation of a Medication Manager program using pharmacy technicians to deliver medication directly to patient bedside has shown both subjective and objective benefit. The program resulted in an 85% reduction in nursing trips to the medication room and a 45% decrease in the time spent there. A significant reduction of 50% in medication retrieval and 85% reduction in missing medication costs were also shown. Satisfaction improved from both the nursing and pharmacy perspective.

Pharmacy technicians can be successfully used to provide additional services outside their normal scope of practice. By using a medication at the bedside type of program, one can improve pharmacy and nursing communication, increase nurse's time with the patient, reduce medication waste, and potentially impact medication errors. Within the current constraints of health care systems, we must continuously strive to identify new systems that improve medication delivery and administration.