[Analysis of the implementation of safety practices in the automated medication dispensing cabinets]

To determine the degree of implementation of recommended safety practices in the design and use of automated medication dispensing cabinets (ADCs) in Spanish hospitals.

A descriptive study based on completion of the "Self- Evaluation Survey on the Safety of Automated Medication Dispensing Systems" from 10/10/2012 to 4/10/2013, at voluntarily participating hospitals. The survey contained 93 items grouped into 14 core processes.

In the 36 participating hospitals the average score for the completed survey was 307.8 points (66.2% of the highest possible score [LC 95% CI: 63.2-69.2]). The lowest scores were obtained for core processes 9, 12, 13, 8, 3, 4 and 11 referring to the establishment of guidelines for medication removed using the override function (28.4%), training for healthcare professionals (52%), risk management (53%), defining removal procedures (55.3%), use of ADCs in connection with electronic prescribing (60.9%), information that appears on ADC screens (61.8%) and eliminating medications being returned to ADCs (63.9%), respectively. The hospitals that used ADCs in connection with electronic prescribing as their principal system for distribution presented a higher level of implantation of safety practices than those that used ADCs as a complementary distribution system.

ADC installation has been accompanied by the implementation of various safety practices, but there are still numerous areas of risk for which technical, organizational, and system monitoring safety practices must be added in order to minimize errors with this technology.