PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Jonathan H Sin
AU  - Laurie M Ferguson
AU  - Juanita S Ally
AU  - I Ian Richards
TI  - Utilising an automated medication inventory management system for emergency crash carts during the COVID-19 pandemic
AID  - 10.7861/fhj.2020-0163
DP  - 2022 Mar 01
TA  - Future Healthcare Journal
PG  - 87--89
VI  - 9
IP  - 1
4099  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/9/1/87.short
4100  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/9/1/87.full
SO  - Future Healthc J2022 Mar 01; 9
AB  - The high acuity of patients with COVID-19 during the pandemic in the city of New York correlated with an increased incidence of cardiac arrests and other emergent resuscitation scenarios requiring life-sustaining treatment. A spike in the utilisation of emergency crash cart medications was to be expected. The department of pharmacy at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University optimised the use of an automated medication inventory management system with radio-frequency identification to assess usage and turnover of emergency crash carts; improve efficiency and turnaround times for crash cart dispatches; track drug consumption; and manage ongoing medication shortages during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. By capitalising on the utility and functionality of technology and automation, the institution was able to keep pace with acute patient care demands to prevent gaps in pharmaceutical care and medication management during emergency responses.