Improving the Efficiency of the Intravenous Medicine Preparation Pathway With an Intravenous Workflow Software Solution in Full-Capacity Pharmacy Units at Watford General Hospital: Observational Study and Economic Analysis

TL;DR

A new software system improved efficiency and reduced errors in preparing intravenous cancer treatments at a hospital.

Contribution

The study demonstrates the effectiveness of BD Cato Pharmacy system in reducing time, cost, and errors in intravenous chemotherapy preparation.

Findings

The software saved 18 minutes per drug, translating to 1034 hours annually.

Opportunity cost savings reached £39,246 per year.

Errors decreased by 86% after implementation.

Abstract

The existing intravenous systemic anticancer therapy (SACT) pathway in pharmacies is operationally inefficient. Manual, paper-based workflows render the system prone to human error, and the need for time-consuming manual verification diverts pharmacy staff time. The introduction of an automated workflow solution for the intravenous SACT pathway could optimize treatment timeliness and improve oncological outcomes for patients, aligning with the National Health Service Long Term Plan for improved cancer care.

This observational analysis aimed to assess the change in time, cost, and errors following the implementation of the Becton Dickinson (BD) Cato Pharmacy system in an aseptic unit producing intravenous SACT at Watford General Hospital.

Data on compounding process times were collected manually by pharmacy staff before and after the implementation of the intravenous compounding software (BD Cato). The data were analyzed to estimate annual time savings, opportunity cost savings, and error reduction.

The intravenous compounding software produced a time saving of 18 (SD 9) minutes per drug, equating to 1034 hours saved per year (1034/2591, 39.9% reduction). If this time were repurposed to producing more intravenous SACT, Watford General Hospital could increase production by 66% (2298/3482) annually (2298 additional intravenous SACT). This represents an average cost saving of £11.29 (£1=US $1.273) per drug, equating to an annual opportunity cost saving of £39,246. The intravenous compounding software also decreased observed errors by 86% (43/50), a reduction of 43 errors over 2 months (approximately 258 fewer errors annually). Staff also preferred the intravenous compounding software to the manual system.

Implementing intravenous compounding software can save time, reduce costs, and lower errors in intravenous SACT preparation. This could improve timely treatment access for patients with cancer.

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