McKesson To Unveil New Pharmacy Automation System

McKesson is set to introduce the PROmanager-Rx system, a solution that enables hospitals to fully automate the dispensing of tablets, capsules, and other oral solid medications that come pre-packaged from drug manufacturers in unit-dose, bar-coded form.

PROmanager-Rx system is said to retain the original manufacturer packaging, which helps hospital pharmacies increase accuracy.

PROmanager-Rx will be unveiled at the 44th Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) in Las Vegas. The system currently is installed at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, part of the OhioHealth system.

The company claims that the PROmanager-Rx is ideal for patient-centric filing, and directly supports bar-code medication administration operations. It features order processing and inventory management software to increase inventory turns, manage expired and returned medications, and streamline wholesale ordering.

PROmanager-Rx has a sleek design and footprint and can be easily installed in existing facilities. Unit-dose packages produced by SKY Packaging, a McKesson company, are certified for use in PROmanager-Rx.

The system runs on McKesson’s Connect-Rx software platform and complements McKesson’s other bar-code-driven medication-use process solutions. Through Fulfill-RxSM software, PROmanager-Rx interfaces with McKesson’s pharmaceutical distribution system.

David Souerwine, president of automation at McKesson, said: “The combination of manufacturer packaging, bar-code scanning of every dose, and sophisticated software makes PROmanager-Rx the safest automated pharmacy system available today. In addition to the highest levels of safety, this system also reduces the packaging burden inside the hospital, saving both time and money.”