Omnicell helps distribute drugs safely

Angela Bakker, a nurse in the Picton hospital emergency department is shown using the Omnicell. Briar Boyce photo

Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital’s newly expanded and renovated Emergency Department is a state-of-the-art facility, and thanks to the continued support of the community, the PECMH Foundation purchased an Omnicell for the emergency department.
Omnicell is a trade name for an automated drug distribution cabinet. This cabinet allows for medications to be readily available for nursing staff to administer medicines without having large amounts of pharmaceutical stock on the nursing units. These cabinets are a patient safety initiative as they are interfaced with the hospital’s pharmacy computer system. As physician orders are entered into the system, the medications are profiled on the cabinet and this decreases the risk of error in selecting the wrong medications. Also, these cabinets keep track of all medications by date, time and user.
Each year, more than 20,000 patients receive the highest quality outpatient care in a space that is both welcoming and well designed. From state-of-the-art diagnosis with world class medical imaging systems and full pharmacy, patients get appropriate, efficient care.
The government does not fund the purchase of medical equipment; it is up to the community.