Talyst Consulting Services provides the insight and information transfer to expedite hospital pharmacy automation projects
Best practices and lessons learned help to transform
pharmacy standards, workflow and culture
Bellevue, Wash., Dec. 3, 2007 — Talyst, a national leader in pharmacy automation, today announced Talyst Consulting Services, a unit designed to facilitate and accelerate the adoption of medication barcoding and other pharmacy automation projects for hospitals and integrated healthcare systems.
The new unit is directed by Gary Johnson, Pharm D, MHA, vice president, Pharmacy Practice Solutions. Dr. Johnson is Talyst’s senior pharmacist.
“Transforming central pharmacies—what we call ‘engineering the intelligent pharmacy’—can be a complex process. An increasing number of hospitals wisely seek experienced outside assistance with this,” noted James E. Torina, president and chief executive officer of Talyst. “With more than 80 percent of hospitals on the verge of this significant improvement, it becomes more important than ever to apply best practices.”
Dr. Johnson was responsible for instituting system-wide medication barcoding and centralized inventory controls at Parkview Health System in Fort Wayne, Ind. That program re-engineered the pharmacy operations to provide centralized purchasing, barcode packaging and distribution for six hospitals to complete a closed-loop distribution system, while producing significant cost reductions and efficiency gains. He has counseled dozens of hospitals and integrated delivery networks on the application of medication management technologies in their environments.
On a flexible, project-oriented basis, Dr. Johnson and his Talyst team work with hospital pharmacy and information technology teams to assess and recommend optimal approaches to all the key disciplines involved in pharmacy automation projects, including:
• Closed-loop safety
—Ensuring complete medication tracking from stock arrival to patient administration
• Supply chain management
—From inventory reduction to automated ordering systems
• Regulatory and accreditation support
—Guiding compliance with JCAHO, FDA, DEA and USP regulations
• Human resources
—Identifying appropriate staffing levels, training and recruitment
• Clinical interface
—Ensuring collaboration with nursing and focusing largely on the electronic medication administration record (eMAR)
• Operations
—Tailoring workflow for maximum safety, efficiency and control
• Technology integration
—Bridging systems and equipment from multiple suppliers
• Financial management
—Ensuring complete cost and inventory control
“In nearly every hospital that has moved to bedside scanning of medication doses, there is an expectation of a smooth, seamless transition,” explained Dr. Johnson. “The reality is that there are many major variables to address, including coordinating with the electronic medication administration record (eMAR), as well as ensuring formulary maintenance across multiple information systems and delivering all medications with barcodes that work.
“We are prepared with the right questions, assessment tools and formulae to help pharmacy, nursing and information systems directors apply best practices and lessons learned elsewhere to their distinct hospital needs,” he continued. “While every hospital has its own process and workflow, we are prepared with methodologies that accelerate the decision making process, making a six-month implementation practical and realistic, if the hospital so chooses.”
Talyst Consulting Services are being presented at the 2007 Midyear Clinical Meeting of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), underway this week in Las Vegas. Talyst is exhibiting in booth #2047 at the Sands Expo Center.
About Talyst
Talyst enables the intelligent pharmacy. The company provides automated systems to hospitals and other centralized pharmacies, to improve accuracy and patient safety, while reducing costs and increasing productivity. Talyst equipment and its AutoPharm software are used to package, barcode, store and track drug inventories. For more information, see www.talyst.com or call 877-4-Talyst (877-482-5978).
Inc. magazine this year named Talyst to the “Inc. 500” ranking of America’s fastest-growing private companies, and for the third consecutive year, the company was among the fastest growing companies in Washington State. It was also honored by Fast Company magazine’s “Fast 50 Reader Favorites” list, honoring innovative, progressive enterprises.
Talyst, AutoPharm and Engineering the Intelligent Pharmacy are trademarks of Talyst Inc. Other trade names are the property of their respective owners.