Addressing a Serious Problem For Canadian LTC Facilities
The Ontario government is strengthening medication safety in long-term care homes with a substantial funding initiative that includes technology to safely store and limit access to controlled medications such as Capsa’s NexsysADC. Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care, noted that “long-term care residents have complex medication needs. Technology has been shown to be effective at enhancing safety at all stages, from prescription to ongoing monitoring.”
Background
In mid-2019, the landmark Long-Term Care Homes Public Inquiry Report was published. Author Eileen E. Gillese’s report brought to the surface a serious public health concern about systemic vulnerabilities of the manual medication storage methods found in most Canadian LTC facilities where opiates and other high-concern substances are accessed with little security or accountability. Of the 91 recommendations, many focus on better utilizing technology to store, dispense and track medications of high concern, especially controlled substances. Hence, Ontario’s funding in mid-2021 of automated dispensing cabinets as a main weapon against the problem.
The Practical Solution
Traditional automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) are cost-prohibitive, but Capsa Healthcare’s NexsysADC is different. NexsysADC was designed for senior care. This simple, secure system fully manages the onsite storage of controlled medications and items of concern, but at a fraction of the price of alternative ADCs. Thus, more NexsysADC units can be deployed into more homes for a wider spread of the technology solution.
NexsysADC is available as a free-standing 10-tier main cabinet or a countertop size 4-tier cabinet. In either size, your ADC will store, track, and dispense controlled medications, and high-value meds and supplies in one or multiple NexsysADC cabinets. Nursing access is controlled with biometric, or card, or typed ID. With intuitive software and pick-to-light technology, nurses find the exact medication or supply needed for the resident, automatically log the transaction and update the inventory, and get on to what they do best: Caring for their patients. Meanwhile, the pharmacy provider is connected to the facility and unit at all times via a robust cloud connection, so each transaction and inventory is visible.
1. Controlled Medications & Substances
Controlled and high-value medications are safely guarded in CAMs (controlled access modules) with tamper-evident locking lids. Each CAM holds up to 25 SKUs; each mainNexsysADC cabinet holds up to 10 CAMs; each countertop NexsysADC 4T cabinet holds up to 4 CAMs. Tamper-evidence technology included.
2. Open Cell Medication Bins
Routine meds are efficiently managed in dividable, locked open-matrix bins, with pick-to-light guidance.
3. Bulk Supplies & Kits
Bulk supplies and larger items are stowed neatly in configurable, locked supply drawers, with pick-to-light guidance.
NexsysADC software tracks inventory and every transaction. You can access data 24/7 from any device, in any location. It’s simple, automated, and practical. Click here to email Capsa Canada (in our Toronto, ON office) or call (800) 437-6633.
