A smart medicine is a computer-controlled medicine storage device or cabinet used in hospitals. Smart Medicine Dispensing Cabinets can store and dispense medicines in different locations and can control and trace the distribution of medicines. The US has been using Smart Medicine Dispensing Cabinets since the mid 1980s and after nearly 30 years of development as of 2013 more than 97% of healthcare institutions are using Smart Medicine Dispensing Cabinets and other intelligent medicine management equipment. With the development of pharmacy automation in China, and the gradual popularisation of the concept of intelligent drug management, more hospitals are now using smart drug carts or smart drug cabinets to manage toxic and anesthetic drugs and drugs commonly used in the ward.

Advantages of intelligent medicine cabinets

  1. Ensure drug storage safety
    Intelligent medicine cabinet is usually in a locked state, personnel must make fingerprint login to open the cabinet, in order to operate, to ensure that only authorised personnel can wait for the operation of drugs, other unrelated personnel can not touch the drugs, poisonous and anesthetic drugs and control drugs stored in the drawer in the controlled device, must be authorised by the management personnel to obtain, the most advanced technology can automatically sense the movement of each drug in the controlled device The current state-of-the-art technology automatically senses the movement of each medicine in the controlled unit and enables lot and expiry date tracking of each medicine.
  2. Reducing medication errors
    Intelligent medicine cabinets regulate the distribution and use of medicines, automatically transmit information, reduce intermediate links, prompt when filling and collecting medicines, and intelligently manage the entire process of medicine distribution, thus reducing the possibility of medication errors.
  3. Increased efficiency
    Pharmacists can improve the efficiency of dispensing and administration and save time through intelligent prompts and monitoring throughout the process. This is particularly true for the administration of poisonous and anaesthetic drugs, which saves a lot of time. Nurses can obtain medicines directly in the ward without having to travel to and from the pharmacy to collect them and without having to take on the management of medicines in the ward, saving a lot of time.
  4. Traceability
    Intelligent medicine cabinets can record all operations and all data is stored on the server. Managers can query all operations through the system and generate a variety of reports, which can be traced when problems arise.
  5. Economic benefits
    Intelligent medicine cabinets cannot create direct benefits, but they can improve the efficiency of pharmacists and nurses, reduce drug stocks, and reduce waste and loss of expired drugs.

A small number of tertiary hospitals have started to use Smart Medicine Dispensing Cabinets, and through continuous improvement and refinement, they have accumulated many successful experiences and are suitable for Chinese hospitals’ usage habits. Kenwei is a professional manufacturer of intelligent medicine cabinets, offering high quality intelligent medicine cabinets.