The impact of drug distribution systems on nurses' time involvement in medication related activities in long term care facilities.

Abstract

This investigation involves the impact of unit dose drug distribution systems upon nursing time involvement in medication related activities. Medication related activities included inventory and control, controlled substance activities, Kardex preparation, medication preparation, medication administration, and charting fulfillment. Two unit dose systems, one with a twenty-four hour medication supply and the other with a seventy-two hour medication supply were compared with a traditional drug distribution system using the time-motion study technique of work sampling. The traditional, twenty-four hour unit dose, and seventy-two hour unit dose required, respectively 3.22, 1.91, and 1.07 minutes per dose administered. The study found, using analysis of variance and t-tests, significant differences between the traditional and unit dose systems. The unit dose drug distribution systems significantly reduced nursing time involvement in controlled substance activities, medication preparation, medication administration, charting fulfillment, and total involvement in the medication cycle. Also, unit dose drug distribution systems might reduce nursing time involvement in inventory and controlled activities. In this study, the traditional system had an in-house pharmacy which assumed many inventory and control functions of the nurse that community pharmacies could not do under a traditional drug distribution system. Significant differences exist between unit dose drug distribution systems as shown in this study. Before implementing any unit dose drug distribution system, the pharmacist, nursing home administrator and director of nursing should examine the impact of any unit dose drug distribution system upon the medication cycle in their nursing home to maximize the benefits of unit dose drug distribution systems.