The Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital (CWZ) has recently started using the smart medication safety system from MedEye together with the AMiS-PRO medication carts from Alphatron Medical. Thanks to the automated double checks built into the system, the verification of medication before administration to patients is now almost entirely digital. This results in greater patient safety and less medication waste. Both the system and the carts are also connected to the electronic patient record (EPR), making CWZ one of the first hospitals in the Netherlands with a closed-loop medication management system.

Safely locked and secured
The pharmacy technician reviews the medication list for admitted patients on the ward in the EPR using the monitor on the medication cart. From within the EPR, each patient is assigned a personal drawer in the medication cart. For each patient, the pharmacy technician verifies the prescribed medication, fills the assigned drawer in the cart, and prepares it at set times for administration. Once the medication list has been completed, the drawer automatically locks and the cart is prepared for the nurse on the ward.

Right medication, right patient
The nurse brings the medication cart to the patient on the ward and scans the patient’s wristband. The patient’s EPR automatically appears on the computer screen. The nurse checks which medication must be administered to the patient. With the push of a button, the drawer assigned to that patient in the cart opens automatically. The nurse takes the medication from the drawer and starts the safe medication administration process.

An extra pair of eyes for verification
From this point onward, MedEye supports the nurse by taking over several medication checks. Depending on the type of medication, the smart software automatically verifies aspects such as the correct substance name, the correct quantity, and the correct form. The system can also perform the double checks required for high-risk medications using advanced artificial intelligence (AI). MedEye is able to recognize tablets and verify that the correct dose is administered to the correct patient. If something deviates from the prescription, the system generates an alert. If everything is correct, all signals turn green and the nurse can safely administer the medication to the patient. Barcodes on eye drops, liquids, and powders are scanned using the handheld scanner on the medication cart.

Want to see how the new medication administration process works? Watch the video here:
https://vimeo.com/776160135/2e31b5fc5f

More efficient, safer and more sustainable
Both the clinical pharmacy team and the nurses on the wards are very pleased with this development. Together, the smart system from MedEye and the modern medication carts from Alphatron Medical increase medication safety. This new way of working also measures medication much more precisely, which reduces waste. As a result, it is also a more sustainable approach. In addition, the administration process for high-risk medication becomes more efficient for nurses, as they no longer need a colleague for most double checks.

Jean-Pierre van Beers, member of the CWZ Board of Directors:
“This is a great example of how digitalization in healthcare helps us raise patient safety to a higher level. The risk of errors during medication administration is further reduced in this way. At the same time, these automated medication carts allow us to work more efficiently and sustainably with the future in mind.”

Enthusiastic collaboration
MedEye CEO Gauti Reynisson is enthusiastic about the collaboration with CWZ:
“Nurses carry enormous responsibility when it comes to administering medication safely. In a busy environment with high workloads, medication checks are extensive and detailed, but also prone to error. We are delighted that CWZ has a clear vision on this and has brought in MedEye’s knowledge and expertise to optimally support nurses by automating this process. Together with a highly capable project team, we have succeeded in saving nurses time while improving patient safety.