Reducing Medical Waste

Publication: NBC News

Author: Author Unknown

Date Published: July 29, 2010

July 14, 2010 | Eerie, PA

NBC News — At the Crawford County Care Center, long-term care facility is using a new machine to cut back on medical waste. It’s called the Talyst on-demand dosing machine. Here’s how it works. Typical prescriptions come in 30-day doses. When a patient transfers facilities, changes prescriptions or dies, their medications must be destroyed. But instead of billing them for the entire prescription..the machine creates a daily dose. This means residents get medications when they need them, and Medicaid only pays for the drugs that are consumed.

“I believe it’s a huge problem and has been for a long time,” said Crawford County Care Administrator Noreen Lee. “Nursing home residents are on nine or more medications, so if a person comes in and they’re here two days, and we have a 30-day supply of nine or more meds, we’re destroying 28-days which is a huge waste at the cost of medication, and that’s just for one resident.”

The machine is owned by Vantage Care Apothecary. The group selected Crawford County, as the first facility in Northwestern Pennsylvania to carry it. “The machine has allowed us to make sure that they get timely medicine,” said Robin Smith of Vantage Care Apothecary. “Most of our patients are end of life…they are someones family member and they are here, and our job is to make sure that we get them their medication, the right medication at the right time.” For Crawford County Commissioner Morris Waid, the service is a great way for the county to save money. “I think in the long run, we’re saving money and on the other part, we’re saving nurses time where they don’t have to sit there and count the pills, and then take them to a patient and make sure the patient takes them.” said Waid. Congress believes that in the next decade, technologies like this will help save tax payers over six billion dollars.