MEDEX® TUBESAFE® CASE STUDY

SITUATION

Tower Health’s Reading Hospital — a 700-bed, level 1 trauma center in PA servicing 2.5 million people — needed a better way to track medications delivered through their pneumatic tube system. The solution they were using wasn’t integrated into their EHR system and didn’t support pneumatic tube workflow outside of the pharmacy. Tubed medications would often get misplaced, leading to nurses spending valuable time tracking them down, pharmacies needing to refill orders, and patients waiting for manual delivery. 

STRATEGY

• MedEx® app was installed on handheld devices, so staff could secure and confirm drug delivery from anywhere in the facility.
• Access to the TubeSafe® system could be gained swiftly by scanning existing hospital ID badges — no more time wasted entering separate usernames and passwords. 
• Nursing appreciated that TubeSafe provided a locking mechanism for the tubes, which secures the medication inside — an extra layer of protection.
• Monthly reports were run so leadership staff could review key metrics provided by MedEx.
• Automatic patient location updates were used to alert staff attempting to deliver medications to a patient’s previous unit after a transfer — a feature no other system in the industry offers.
• Integration with the eMAR allowed nurses and the pharmacy easy access to medication whereabouts through the eMAR system.
• Supports Active Directory® for user authentication.

RESULTS

• Turnaround time for tracking pneumatic tubes and delivering medications were greatly improved, resulting in nursing staff being able to spend more time on patient care.
• Pharmacy Staff was able to rely on MedEx to track and update tubed medications, reducing the need for manual drug delivery and resulting in more efficient workflow for night shifts.
• Delivery interruptions and missing medication call volume were dramatically reduced.
• Tracking documentation helped ensure both compliance and greater security.
• Faster patient location updates helped prevent meds from being dispensed twice, leading to a reduction in pharmaceutical waste.