Bedside Medication Management: Pharmacy Technicians Managing Patient Medication Supply to Improve Nursing Productivity and Patient Safety

Audits of medication charts conducted by Royal Hobart Hospital Pharmacy revealed that dose omission was the most common medication error experienced by patients. Investigation of these errors also found that nurses spend significant time organising medication for inpatients. To address the issues contributing to these problems, an alternative model of medication management was implemented and tested. This model of bedside medication management involves medication supply managed by ward pharmacy technicians who review charts daily for changes to medicines and obtain the medicines needed for each patient. Outcomes on two intervention wards showed that the model, combined with technician involvement in controlled medicines stock management, resulted in 29.78 h of nursing time released to patient care per 20-bed ward per week, for an investment of 22.28 h of ward pharmacy technician time; a 75% reduction in delayed doses; a 44% reduction in missed doses; and an average decrease of two hours in the turnaround time for supply of inpatient medication. Introducing bedside medication management and controlled medicines stock management activities can release 1.34 h of nursing time to patient care for every hour of ward pharmacy technician time (at a lower hourly salary cost), decrease dose delays and omissions, and improve patient safety.