Pyxis Proximity Improves Narcotic Waste Compliance Among Anesthesia Personnel

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Pharmacy Practice
• Healthcare Operations

Background:

• Controlled substance waste management in perioperative settings is often inefficient.
• Current two-person waste protocols can be time-consuming and cumbersome.
• Streamlining waste disposal is crucial for operating room efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a centrally located automated medication dispensing system on controlled substance waste time.
• To assess the effect of this system on user satisfaction with the medication waste process.
• To determine if improved waste ergonomics influence anesthesia clinician workflow.

Main Methods:

• Single-center, retrospective, IRB-approved quality assurance analysis.
• Anonymous survey using REDCap software distributed via email (06/09/2021 to 09/09/2021).
• Wilcoxon signed-rank tests used for before-and-after paired response comparison; SAS 9.4 for analysis.

Main Results:

• Significant decrease in time spent carrying used narcotics post-surgery (median IQR: 10-20 min to <10 min, p < 0.0001).
• Reported satisfaction with the waste process significantly increased (2 to 3 on a 5-point scale, p < 0.0001).
• Participants found the process less time-consuming, carried fewer substances, and wasted more promptly.

Conclusions:

• A centrally located automated medication dispensing system improves the ergonomics of controlled substance waste.
• This leads to reduced time for anesthesia clinicians handling used narcotics.
• Enhanced process efficiency and ease of finding witnessing partners increased provider satisfaction.