Using Automated Technology To Prevent Medication Errors In Long-Term Care

Research suggests that more than 1 in 4 residents at long-term care facilities experience a medication error every year. While some medication errors may not come with significant side effects, others can be deadly. 

The cost to the healthcare system as a whole for medication errors is estimated at $77 billion annually. When coupled with the potential for severe or fatal outcomes, it’s clear that the costs associated with medication errors are something long-term care facilities, patients and pharmacy partners want to avoid. 

For long-term care facilities, it’s vital to engage with a pharmacy partner that understands the importance of practices designed to prevent or avoid medication errors and creates an environment that fosters accuracy across the board. Beyond simple organizational processes and protocols, long-term care pharmacies that integrate the use of technology are better equipped to meet the needs of long-term care facilities — especially when it comes to medication management.

UnitedRX utilizes digital platforms and other pharmacy technology to ensure that medication errors are kept to an absolute minimum, which keeps costs down, and positively influences patient safety and outcomes.

Automated Dispensing Units

Long-term care facilities, including the varied types with which UnitedRX partners, can help reduce the chance of medication errors by utilizing automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) as part of their medication management system. The use of ADCs has been shown to improve workflow and cost efficiencies, minimize the chances of medication errors, improve medication management and benefit patient care overall. 

At UnitedRX, our ADCs are able to hold more than 300 medications for first dose/STAT use, which has been a tremendous benefit to our long-term care facility partners.

Leveraging Tech Platforms

In the pharmacy industry, there are certain tech platforms that pharmacy partners and long-term care facilities can leverage to foster a medication error-free environment. At UnitedRX, we integrate FrameworkLink and FrameworkVision into our processes, giving long-term care facilities visibility into the prescription medication landscape.

From understanding costs of medications to facilitating the return of medications to tracking medications that need to be destroyed, FrameworkVision gives long-term care facilities access to those activities right through the UnitedRX website. 

FrameworkLink allows long-term care facilities to admit and discharge patients, maintain patient records, place new orders for prescription medications, request prescription medication refills, and print medical records — creating a more seamless environment between UnitedRX and its long-term care facility partners. 

It also allows long-term care facilities to access quick pricing for new admissions, review and track the delivery status of medications, and receive pharmacists consultation reports and recommendations. In addition, our use of integrated EMar technology, which allows our team to see what nurses in long-term care facilities are seeing, is crucial to preventing medication errors. 

To better understand how our approach to long-term care partnerships helps prevent medication errors, reach out to our team to discuss the individual needs of your facility. 
At UnitedRX, we deliver a hometown pharmacy experience to more than 400 clients across the country. Contact us to learn more about how our approach to treatment can meet the pharmacy needs of your long-term care facility.