The evolving demands on sterile compounding operations require solutions that don’t just address today’s needs but are adaptable for the future.
Smarthood was designed with that in mind to simplify workflows, ensure safety, and support compliance in a single, integrated solution.
Hospital pharmacies responsible for sterile IV compounding face mounting challenges as they navigate increasingly complex standards and regulations.
These pressures, combined with the critical need for safety and efficiency, have highlighted significant gaps in existing workflows. In response, Germfree developed Smarthood, an innovative, integrated hardware platform designed to streamline operations, enhance compliance, and address these critical gaps.
Research indicates a significant occurrence of medication errors and procedural failures in the administration of intravenous (IV) medications, with estimates suggesting errors in up to 10% of cases.
Modern compounding pharmacies often rely on peripherals such as cameras and scales
Compared to other administration methods, the IV route has a considerably higher likelihood of errors up to five times greater. This is particularly concerning as many IV drugs are classified as high-alert medications, carrying an elevated risk of severe harm if administered incorrectly.
Addressing these challenges requires the implementation of targeted strategies and technology to detect and prevent IV medication errors, ensuring safer medication practices in hospital environments.
In addition to these risks, publicised incidents of patient harm due to compounding errors have heightened scrutiny on sterile compounding practices. For instance, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) initially reported a 9% error rate in manual IV compounding in 2013, which was updated in 2016.
Despite advances in technology and regulation, the issue persists; a 2020 ISMP survey revealed that 75% of hospital pharmacists and technicians had observed at least one compounding error in the previous year.
The implications of these findings are profound, not only for patient safety but also for hospital operations, compliance, and liability. This underscores the need for innovative, integrated solutions that address the root causes of compounding errors while enhancing workflow efficiency.
Digitisation: A step forward, but not enough
Historically, hospital pharmacies relied on paper records for managing compounding activities. These antiquated systems were not only inefficient but also prone to errors, leading to a push for digitisation following the introduction of the Drug Quality and Security Act in 2013.
This legislation catalysed the adoption of electronic records and IV workflow management systems, allowing pharmacies to better meet compliance requirements and reduce manual data entry errors.
Historically, hospital pharmacies relied on paper records for managing compounding activities.
However, the shift to digital solutions also introduced new challenges. While IV workflow software streamlined recordkeeping, it required additional hardware such as computers, barcode scanners, and label printers often leading to a patchwork integration of components.
This piecemeal approach created inefficiencies, cluttered workspaces, and interoperability issues. Unfortunately, some of this equipment became outdated or insufficiently integrated, resulting in a host of challenges including inefficiencies, and clutter in the compact pharmacy spaces.
Hardware demands and integration challenges in modern pharmacies
The integration of a computer or tablet for managing digital databases in IV compounding pharmacies was initially celebrated. However, pharmacies soon recognised that manual data entry in spreadsheets was laborious and slowed down workflow efficiency.
As IV workflow systems became more sophisticated, additional hardware demands emerged. Modern compounding pharmacies often rely on peripherals such as
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