‘HMC’s innovative measures have improved healthcare’

The introduction of innovative technology, new workflows, building capacities of staff and rewarding them have made the process of providing healthcare services more efficient and reduced patient waiting period to less than 15 minutes, senior officials from the Heart Hospital (HH) Pharmacy Department of the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) said. The director of the National Centre for Cancer Care & Research (NCCCR) and HH, Manal Zaidan, in a presentation made at an event held at the HMC Club House on Tuesday to celebrate HH Pharmacy’s achievements and anniversary, highlighted the Pharmacy Department’s new initiatives and projects that have significantly increased the efficiency and quality of healthcare service over the last one year. “We have implemented eight projects and replaced the traditional pharmacy workflow with HH pharmacy workflows which has streamlined and made the process of clinical pharmacy interventions more efficient,” Zaidan told QNA. In her presentation she outlined the pharmacy’s Strategic Plan (2009 - 2014) and listed the key new initiative of introducing Automated Dispensing Cabinets (ADCs), HH Workflow, Computerised Physician Order Entry (CPOE),  Automated Repacking Machines, Medication Safety, Human Resources, Research, Risk Management and Orientation Programme for staff. “Introducing ADCs for the Out Patient Department in May 2011 and later in September for the inpatients was very successful,” said Zaidan. The HMC’s Heart Hospital pharmacy department has installed the Pyxis MedStation system which is an automated dispensing system supporting decentralised medication management.