The storage and access of medicines and drugs in busy clinical environments, such as hospitals, needs to be strictly controlled. With high footfalls of staff, patients and visitors, there are multiple risks including running out of stock, out of date products and theft.
Newer technologies can be used to improve the control, management and auditing of medicines access.
Regulations
There are minimum standards specified for the storage and access of medicines, mainly concerning the strength of the cabinet itself, and its fixings and the security of the locks.
A Hospital environment is normally well staffed, and incidences of Drugs cabinets being ripped off its mountings and stolen by members of the public are extremely rare. Plus, medicines generally are generally stored in rooms such as Clean Utilities and Theatre environments which will normally have controlled access to the rooms and not open to the general public.
Challenges
If we therefore assume that the main physical security standards referred to are met in full, the main challenges in today’s Hospital environment become;
Managing Access
Ensuring the right people have access to the keys and that those without access credentials, don’t have access.
The easiest option is to ensure there are plenty of keys available, which then can create a difficult situation to manage across shifts and staff turnovers. Too many keys can increase the chance of them getting into the wrong hands. As a result, security integrity becomes weaker.
Efficiency
Often medicines need to be accessed quickly. To maintain security, access must be checked which can slow down critical response times. Too few keys can cause delays.
Accountability
Can we track or trace
- Who has a key
- Who has used that key and at what time
- Is an automatic record kept of each use, each key in use? Generally, the answer is ‘NO’
Electronic Access
Advances in technology have made it possible to create digital access and locks, removing the need for keys. This significantly improves accessibility times whilst increasing security with the ability to control who has access and also trace usage.
Indeed, the NHS Health & Building Note 14-02 Medicines Storage in Clinical Areas states ‘2.3: Electronic keys and appropriate electronic access cards are preferred to ensure suitable audit trails of storage access can be maintained.’
Most, if not all, departments now require staff identification swipe cards which also allow access to restricted areas, and these can be programmed to include medicines storage.
Key advantages of electronically controlled access include;
- User access management
- Accountability and data logging
- Deterrence to abuse
Baard Intelligent Security Systems
Exclusive to Stirling, Baard is the leading developer of intelligent electronical security systems for storage solutions specialising in clinical sectors. The range utilises a high level of specification to the physical design of storage cabinets to ensure all standards are met.
But the main area where the products lead the market is in the software to ensure secure access through digital controls. Each cabinet that has Intelligent Swipe Access, ‘talks’ to the cloud management portal which holds access credentials and audit data, enabling centralised management, control and auditing.
Whilst physical keys currently remain compliant to regulations, the future is digital access control for medicines in clinical settings. The advantages of electronic access are already vastly superior and the prediction is that it will become the mandated requirement in the requirements of the future.
