FEB 2020: HOW WE SAFELY MANAGE MEDICINE WITH STATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY

At Baycroft, we use an electronic system made by Invatech Health to manage our medication with the highest standards of safety.  

When it comes to giving the best available care, innovative technology can make the world of difference.

Now CEO of Invatech Health, Tariq Muhammad had his lightbulb moment in 2006 while working as a pharmacist. Pharmacies have to be in constant contact with healthcare providers, but Muhammad realised that the communication systems that were in place were slow and inefficient. It was frustrating, and could even be dangerous.

He developed a new platform to solve this problem, making the connection between pharmacies and health care providers easier via technology. The system, Atlas eMAR, is now in place at care homes across the UK.

Why manage medicine through technology?

When a process has been managed on paper for so many years, it can be tempting to assume that it would be best to just carry on that way.

The problem is that care homes and pharmacies can easily work in isolation from each other. When medicine stocks ran low in one, for example, the other might not necessarily know in time to order more. An automatic communication system makes this vital function much easier.

Even more importantly, the system keeps a log of individual patients’ needs so that their medicines can be tracked through the day.

Sajid Ramzan, national sales manager at Invatech, explains that the entire management system is based on putting safety first. “It’s all about simplifying the process to make sure that there are no slip-ups”, he says.

“Keeping track of medicines through our systems is reassuring for everyone, whether they’re working or living in a care home”, he adds. In fact, this programme is the only one in the UK that’s been proven to increase both resident safety and care home efficiency.

How does it work?

Rather than cope with paper files, staff use the interactive programme to keep track of each resident’s profile.

This means that both nursing staff and the pharmacy are kept up-to-date with a resident’s medicine plan, as well as any allergies or other individual needs. It’s sensitive data, but the NHS-accredited system handles everything with total confidentiality.

For care stuff, managing medicines through tech is invaluable. It’s a transparent way to make sure that all safety checks and balances are in place, and it gives peace of mind that no mistakes have been made. As Agnes, one of our Kempston nurses says, “The system is so simple to use, and it’s so helpful to have a track record of every person’s medication that I can access easily.”

At Baycroft, we always keep an eye on innovative new technology that’s emerging in the care sector. To find out more about our state-of-the-art homes, get in touch at https://www.baycroft.co.uk/contact-now