Medication Wastage in a University Hospital in Japan

Here is a Japan perspective on medication wastage, published by Tetsuya Ueki , Emiko Sanematsu, Sara Kawano, Yuriko Nakamura, Naoko Kawamichi, Yoshitake Shinohara, Kazuhiro Yatera, Fumihiro Tanaka. Here are three key takeway:

1. Medication Wastage by Reasons:

   • Two Primary Reasons for Medication Wastage:

     • Change or Discontinuation of Medication after Preparation (Accounting for about 33% of wastage)

     • Breakage or Contamination due to Dropping (Accounting for approximately 32% of wastage)

   • Expired Medications:

     • Although they represented only 7.5% of cases, they constituted over 50% of the total wastage cost.

2. Medication Wastage by Occurrence Department:

   • Hospital Wards:

   • Intensive care unit: 12.1%

   • Hospital pharmacy department: 8.1%

3. High-Cost Medication Wastage Concentration:

   • Although medication wastage cases involving a cost of 50,000 Japanese yen (JPY) or more per case represented only 1.3% of the total cases, they accounted for a substantial 70.7% of the total cost.

   • Similarly, cases with wastage costs of 100,000 JPY or more per case were only 0.7% of the total cases but contributed significantly, representing 58.6% of the total cost.

   • This indicates that a relatively small number of high-cost wastage cases have a disproportionately large economic impact on medication wastage. Focusing efforts on managing these high-cost cases can result in substantial cost savings.

Those problems might be overcome building a Procedures:

• Standardization: ADCs enforce standardization in medication management processes by providing a centralized system for medication storage and dispensing.

• Workflow Efficiency: They streamline medication administration workflows, reducing interruptions and distractions.

• Technology Reliability: ADCs are designed with redundancy and fail-safes to minimize technology failures and ensure accurate medication dispensing.

• Safety Measures: ADCs incorporate safety features such as double-checks, user authentication, and access control to prevent unauthorized medication access.

Look how UnitBox (ADC) works in this case

1. The UnitBox Automated Dispensing Cabinet (ADC) integrated with Pharmacy system is meticulously designed to ensure standardization in medication distribution. It offers a flexible approach, allowing you to define your preferred medication distribution path while providing robust support in error prevention.

2. Efficiency is at the core of UnitBox's design philosophy, ingrained in its DNA. We are dedicated to streamlining processes and making them 57% faster, acknowledging the importance of time-saving solutions. Reliability is paramount, and our system excels not only in hardware but also in software support, empowering your nursing staff to consistently deliver medications according to prescribed schedules.

3. Safety is the cornerstone of UnitBox. We empower you to implement rigorous safety measures, including double-checks, automated verifications, and even enabling patients to participate in their own medication checks when necessary. With UnitBox, your medication distribution process can be both efficient and exceptionally secure.

Base on: Medication Wastage in a University Hospital in Japan (jst.go.jp)