Episys launches Ultimate Parenteral Nutrition Module

Episys, the global information technology solutions and services company, has launched the latest module of its Ultimate solution, the Parenteral Nutrition Module, with Queen's Hospital, Romford, acting as a premier test client. The solution is designed to help hospitals streamline workflow and reduce errors.

The Ultimate Parenteral Nutrition Module allows users to formulate regimens (the recipe for medicines) and print the resulting worksheet and labels.  This solution is validated with supporting documentation to GAMP and MHRA (UK Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) standards.  The solution allows users to create and store standard regimens which are used frequently and enables the formulation of regimens based on stored standard regimens, with the ability to make additions or build non-standard regimens from scratch.

The solution is being trialled at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Queen's Hospital and currently there are three scenarios for the majority of their babies.  Most require a standard regime that is used frequently.  Some need the standard regimen with additions to the bags, and the third is a baby whose requirements would need a bespoke bag.  The Ultimate Parenteral Nutrition Module will encompass these three different scenarios, allowing one easy access point to produce worksheets and labels.

Laura Hughes, Production Pharmacist at Queen's Hospital, said, "My role covers the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which deals with neonatal parental nutrition.  Currently, we calculate formulations manually, and this is checked by another pharmacist. We wanted a system that will do all the calculations for us, to help minimise potential human error, and enable us to work in a quicker, more effective way.  Currently, work has to be transcribed into another system, so there is not just the error from the formulation, but from somebody re-entering that information later on.  So the new Episys system will not only do the calculations and the formulation, but will also print off the labels and the worksheet all together."

Currently, at the Neonatal Unit, information is handwritten by the screening pharmacist, and that information is sent to the production unit, where it is re-entered on to an Excel worksheet, from where the labels and worksheets are printed.  The Ultimate Parenteral Nutrition Module will automate this process, streamlining the workflow.

Hughes continued, "The system will cover all eventualities.  So when we use standard bags, or standard bags with additions, or need to do a scratch formulation, it's all managed within Ultimate.  It will reduce all the different types of paperwork that we have at the moment, which will also reduce transcription errors."

Neil Fisher, Senior Principal Pharmacist, Technical Services at Queens Hospital, said, "We've worked with Episys for a number of years, for our labelling.  It gives us a massive amount of flexibility to put exactly what we want on our labels, and the worksheet module gives us the opportunity to link our activity seamlessly.  The integration of the existing solutions with the Ultimate Parenteral Nutrition Module will remove the need for transcription and reduce the need for pharmacists to formulate and carry out complex calculations."

Queens Hospital has worked with Episys in developing the system.  Innovations within the solution include the facility to have a log of every bag that's been formulated for each patient.  It will enable the user to easily go back into the system, to see what the patient had previously, and if required, record a formulation, speeding up the process of printing worksheets and labels without having to duplicate information.   The new solution will also provide an audit trail of who has inputted information, and this can all be accessed easily.   

Security is also a key element within the solution, as it enables the set up of password controls for specific tasks.  These levels of security will ensure that the system is used safely.

Peter Lewis, Episys Marketing Director, said, "We have enjoyed an excellent relationship with Queens Hospital over a number of years, and we're delighted that they have acted as a premier test client in the development of this product.  As an early adopter, they have provided highly valuable input, and we are confident that other units will soon be reaping the benefits of the solution."