In the healthcare industry, efficiency and accuracy
are key to proper patient care. Pharmacies are one realm in need of extraordinary
organization. Healthcare specialists must locate proper pharmaceuticals, fill
prescriptions and provide patients with the right medication. Therefore, workflow
efficiency and accuracy are augmented by proper storage solutions.
Storage designers should fluently understand a
pharmacy’s daily operations and create storage solutions accordingly. In the
guide below, we discuss the importance of storage and provide three storage
solutions for your pharmacy designed to maintain stability, organization and
efficiency.
The Importance of Pharmaceutical Storage
Anyone working in the pharmaceutical industry
understands the importance of accurately allotting prescription drugs. The
quality of environment before filling a prescription should be prioritized.
Additionally, collecting the proper dose in the right storage container and distributing
to the proper individual are imperative. As obvious as it may seem, a single
error during prescription filling can severely impact a patient’s health and
safety.
According to the World
Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences,
“Drug storage is among the pharmacist’s most important responsibilities… one of
the fundamental concerns in patient care.” The specific environmental
conditions in which pharmaceuticals are stored can deeply impact quality,
contamination, deterioration, and degradation. These specific conditions may
include “temperature, humidity, air quality, time, and production process
characteristics.”
Temperature & Drug Stability
In a storage environment, temperature serves as a key
factor with its potentially detrimental impacts on drug stability. When
temperatures are too extreme, the chemical stability alters, resulting in
deterioration or impurity. While the pharmaceutical compound may not form mold
or change color, the results of degradation become evident while the drug is in
use. In certain cases, the physical properties of the pharmaceutical may
change. Obvious physical changes alert the healthcare specialist that the drug
is no longer useful – and may seriously harm the patient.
The World Journal of Pharmacy states:
Stock must be
stored in appropriate and auditable environmental conditions… Appropriate
conditions of light, humidity, ventilation, temperature, and security should be
ensured. All medicinal products must be stored in accordance with the
manufacturer’s directions and within the terms of product authorizations… Pharmaceutical
products should be packed in a well closed container that protects the contents
from contamination by extraneous solids, liquids or vapors and the loss of the
products under normal conditions of handling and storage.
Organization & Workflow Efficiency
To ensure proper and accurate pharmaceutical
storage, workflow efficiency and organization are additional important factors.
Organizing prescription medication bottles, lids, labels, bags, glass dropper
bottles, and syringe tips increases speed and accuracy during production.
Many resources conclude that inventory is
a key factor to improving pharmacy efficiency. Having too much or too little is
problematic. Understanding every item’s location is crucial to maintaining an ideal
amount of inventory. In addition to resources, space also contributes to
efficiency. How far must your pharmacist or technician walk to fulfill a
prescription order? Are your pharmaceuticals and medication bottles logically
placed and organized?
The ideal storage solutions for your
pharmacy helps protect the integrity of your pharmaceuticals and organize your
supplies.
Excellent Pharmacy Storage Solutions
The Times-2™ Concept: Rotating Storage Cabinet
Times-2™ rotary cabinets rotate for access from either side, doubling storage capacity while claiming little floor space. Times-2™ solutions often replace lateral cabinets that waste central filing space. This storage concept is excellent for organizing patient information while maximizing storage capacity – allowing more room for workstations, desks and pharmaceutical storage solutions.
Mobile Shelving
Mobile shelving allows pharmacists additional storage as it takes up half the space. Unlike traditional stationary shelves, Aurora Storage®’s mobile shelving units move back and forth and/or side-to-side by using a rail system, providing a high-density and durable solution. A few features include:
- Modular
components for design freedom - Heavy-duty
quality - Easy
assembly and disassembly - Standard
sizes and styles - Recycled
steel content (40%) and a document-safe finish with no volatile organic
compounds harmful to the environment - Limited
Lifetime Warranty - Custom
design assistance
Aurora Storage’s mobile units can be
ordered with bin dividers, an add-on with application in the pharmaceutical
industry that is excellent for organizing supplies.
Wire Shelving
Traditional wire shelving is useful for various
needs across a plethora of industries. In any setting, wire shelving serves as
a versatile storage solution. Noted for their strength and durability, wire
racks are easily installed and are available in several finishes. Aurora
Storage’s wire racks are all welded construction that withstand a lifting
capacity of 600-800 pounds. Each wire rack is also available with plastic bin
add-ons for efficient organization capabilities.
Museum Storage Cabinets
As the name implies, museum storage
cabinets
are designed to safely store aged, priceless and historical items. Though built
for this purpose, museum storage cabinets are utilized in a variety of industries,
including healthcare applications. The protection of pharmaceuticals is
priority. Therefore, museum storage cabinets are an excellent solution. A few
features include:
- Water
shield top: included on all cabinets in the event of an overhead sprinkler
discharge - Durable
powder coat: finish has no off-gassing, making it harmless to stored items - Heavy
duty lift-off hinge design - Industry-unique
compression handle: effectively compresses the silicone door gasket at multiple
points - Heavy-duty
base - Multiple
accessories: choose from a variety of adjustable shelves, drawers, and dividers. - Steel
reinforced: full perimeter reinforced lift-off doors will not warp, rattle or
flex. - Optional
work surface: optional Pullout Work Surface slides out to create a quick work
area for fulfilling orders or viewing specific pharmaceuticals. - Silicone
gasket: with no off-gassing to protect stored items.
Aurora Storage: Protecting Your Products
Aurora Storage is dedicated to providing
secure solutions for every story, a whole new dimension of shelving. Some of our
markets and industries include libraries, museums, education, industrial,
government, and healthcare. Each market experiences
exponential growth
in organization and workflow efficiency while using our storage solutions.
Whether you have questions or you’re ready to work together on a storage solution, please feel free to reach out. You can contact our customer service team at [email protected] or complete our online form. We look forward to building your ideal storage solution.