Johannesburg, 01 Aug 2012
"User-friendly, simple and easy to use, adaptable!" Those words probably best sum up the answer to the question: "What is your greatest recommendation of the REMED dispensing program?" It would also not be amiss to add that the installation of the REMED dispensing system has facilitated an increase in the overall quality of patient care.
The interviewee was Pramisha Pillay, chief pharmacist at Edendale Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, KZN. After over 18 months of REMED usage, she should know! Installed at Edendale specifically for ARV roll-out, with an installation and training period from September 2010 and full use from December of that year, REMED has again proved its worth (see the article on the Esplamed dispensing success published in 2011).
Pillay explained the greatest benefit for the patients has been the considerably reduced wait for the dispensing of medication, from an average waiting time of 3.5 hours to 30-60 minutes, and the accuracy of the program in recording dispensing.
About 9 500 prescriptions are handled monthly, with an increase of about five new patients daily, numbers having increased from an average of 450 at the time of the installation of the program to the present figure of about 620 per day. The previous dispensing system necessitated the laborious manual recording of each patient's medication requirements, together with instructions, totalling four dispensing packets per patient, an operation considerably simplified and rendered more accurate by the self-adhesive labels of the REMED system, with clear and relevant information for ARV and concommitant medications. The program allows specific instructions required for each prescription to be recorded on labels for each packet each patient requires.
There are currently three data capturers involved with the recording of patient details, and their work is checked within the program and process of the dispensing. The present ARV dispensing team at Edendale totals 14; this includes three to five pharmacists on duty at any given time, and two pharmacy assistants. Thus, the REMED dispensing system ensures comprehensive and accurate records of each patient, without the concern of hard copy files going astray, or errors in scripts or instructions passing without detection.
While the testing of and dispensing for each newly diagnosed patient is initiated at Edendale, once in a stable condition, the patient is able, through the REMED dispensing program, to collect the prescribed medication from the patient's most conveniently situated local district pharmacy or clinic. Thus the present total number being serviced through the REMED ARV dispensing from Edendale is in excess of 1 200.
Backup support by Chillisoft and Gijima has proved more than sufficient, with onsite resolution of any problem within 24 hours. KZN pharmacist David Gooden, who recommended the installation of REMED after other options had not proved to be successful, assisted with the training of the staff and the capturing into the programme the details of drugs used. He continues to keep a watchful eye on its functioning, with a weekly telephonic check on progress, and visits as required.
"Month-end statistics," Pillay exclaimed as the interview drew to a close. "How could I forget month-end statistics! It used to take me a whole weekend to compile statistics." For her, that is obviously something of the past! Now it requires merely the pressing of the keys to reflect adult, child, and total numbers of patients of the diverse regimen accommodated within the REMED system.
The program also keeps track of stock consumption over specific periods, enabling the bulk management and control of prescribed drugs and the easy identification of trends. Such information is fed directly back to the head office of the KZN Pharmacy Department, enabling an overall efficiency in keeping the proverbial finger on the pulse of KZN health.
And down the line? While at this stage essentially dedicated to the roll-out of the ARV medication, it is anticipated the REMED system will, in future years, be more widely used in the dispensing of other medications; it certainly has the capacity!
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