Riding the waves of digital revolution, the Multi-Dose Medication Management (MMM) system is one of the first such medication packaging systems in the region to dispense patients' medication into a series of single sachets, where each sachet has the right dosage, date, and time the drugs need to be consumed. With the multi-dose sachets organised and labelled accordingly, the MMM system ensures that the right medicines are taken in the right dosages at the right time. National Healthcare Group (NHG) Pharmacy and Synapxe first piloted the MMM system in May 2010. Today, the system has been rolled out to benefit patients at 16 nursing homes, Institute of Mental Health, and NHG Polyclinics.
About Multi-dose Medication Management System
Multi-dose Medication Management System at a glance
Opportunity
It may be challenging for patients to manage their medication, especially when it involves taking several tablets a day. The preparation of medication by humans is also a time-intensive task that needs to be handled with care.There is an opportunity to automate the medication management process.
Solution
The MMM system interfaces with hospitals' Electronic Medical Records system, Computerised Physician Order Entry and Clinical Decision Support System modules. The Pharmacy system and Automated Dispensing & Packaging System combine the various drugs into 'multi-dose' sachets labelled with the patients' and medicine's details. The Automated Medication Inspection System conducts quality checks, ensuring that patients receive the right drugs.
Impact
Medicine is dispensed 14 times faster, which allows the pharmacy to offer services to more nursing homes, which in turn, save about 17 man-hours preparing medication. The risks of errors are also reduced as the sachets are organised and labelled, and medication charts for each resident are simplified. The multi-dose sachets help patients manage their medication and empowers them to live independently at home and in the community.
The Multi-dose Medication Management System won the CIO Award 2013 and the Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF) Bronze Award in 2012
