Aethon and Advanced Pharma Provide Solution to Automate Operating Room Trays

PITTSBURGH – Aethon is announcing that MedEx TraySafe, the next-generation kit and tray replenishment solution, is compatible with Advanced Pharma’s pre-mixed syringes. These syringes are pre-labeled with standard labels as well as machine readable 2D bar code labels. No additional labeling is required and the Advanced Pharma syringes can go directly into use when building predefined kits and trays managed with TraySafe.

“Advanced Pharma working with Aethon’s TraySafe to automate tray replenishment without RFID tags. Fantastic!”

The kit and tray management process is time consuming and can be a safety concern for hospital pharmacies. Properly configured trays, with the right medications and correct doses, are important for patient care. Particularly in the case of narcotic or nerve block products, it is crucial that the proper item and correct dose is in the right place in the tray and is clearly labeled.

“Our prefilled syringes have become more than just a convenience for hospital pharmacies,” said Joshua Rademacher, Executive Vice President, Business Development and Enterprise Solutions. “Pre-mixed, measured and labeled syringes provide several key safety benefits. From sterility and stability to labeling, our products can significantly improve patient safety. TraySafe allows our customers to add to these benefits by detecting that the correct product is in the correct location in the tray, without further labeling or expensive RFID tags.”

MedEx TraySafe ensures a safe and complete configuration of kits and trays by utilizing ultra-high resolution imaging to detect all contents, streamlining the replenishment process. The single scan is acquired in less than 10 seconds for even the largest tray. This scan determines missing medications, soon-to-expire medications and lots that should be recalled. TraySafe is able to read standard 2D barcodes placed on the curved syringes accurately and consistently. This allows any pre-labeled syringe using a 2D bar code to automatically be detected. The 2D bar code contains key information about the medication such as NDC, lot number, expiration date and serial number.

In a study published in Pharmacy Purchasing and Products by WVU Healthcare, tray processing time was reduced by 75% and validation errors were reduced to zero through the use of this approach.

“Integration into the pharmacy supply chain is a great advantage to our customers,” says Aldo Zini, CEO of Aethon. “By leveraging standards already used by Advanced Pharma, we have been able to seamlessly incorporate the company’s syringes into our tray replenishment solution, helping these customers achieve the ultimate in patient safety.”

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