January 14, 2016
UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy students in Chapel Hill and Asheville will train with the newest technology for preparing IV medications thanks to a recent gift of two BD Cato gravimetric scales, valued at $200,000, from Becton Dickinson and Company. Representatives from BD Medical visited the School on December 3 to demonstrate the new system.
“The vision behind acquiring this technology was to create real-world experiences that our students can understand, that they can practice before they move into the workplace,” said Clinical Associate Professor Stephen Eckel, Pharm.D., M.H.A., associate director of pharmacy at UNC Hospitals. “I think UNC was selected to receive the gift specifically because BD recognizes the expertise and uniqueness of our school, as well as the hospital where many of our students work. They recognize the positive collaboration between the two.”
The BD Cato technology is designed to minimize the chance of dose and drug errors by streamlining the IV preparation process and standardizing order review, inventory choices and dose preparation, according to the company. It creates a visual record of the workflow and uses barcodes to decrease errors in IV drug preparation. The system automatically inventories both new and partial drug vials to reduce waste and cost.
“This type of technology will be the future of how IVs will be made in hospitals around the United States,” Eckel said. “Even though the technology is new, it gives our students exposure to the system that will be used in many hospitals across North Carolina. Students will have the training and the understanding of the best way to make an IV.”
“We’re giving our students the opportunity to explore the technology, especially those who may be interested in hospital or oncology pharmacy services, or those who are interested in drug management,” said Clinical Assistant Professor Heidi Anksorus, Pharm.D., who is overseeing the training. “They’ll learn what technology is out there and can compare different IV production systems, bringing new ideas of drug management into hospitals throughout the state and country.”
Eckel and Anksorus said the gift contributes to the School’s focus on improvement and providing the best quality tools for education.
“The way we train our students is very focused on the future,” Eckel said. “We don’t just say, ‘use this technology,’ but we say ‘analyze this technology to understand how and where medication errors occur,’ so they have a firm understanding of the value that technology provides.”
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