Medical Facilities Save Money With Medication Carts

2012 is upon us and, with a new year comes new financial headaches. Medical facility administrators, like many business professionals are looking to cut costs in the first quarter, implementing cost-saving measures that can hang on throughout the year. The simplest measure may be something as simple as buying new medication carts for your staff.

Medication carts help your staff keep their unit dose plans organized, ensuring patients get the right medication. But they can also protect your organization against wasteful spending resulting from careless mistakes. Below are just a few of the ways these carts can save your long term care facility thousands in 2012.

Medication Theft: In 2010, according to the CDC, about 12 million Americans reported nonmedical use of prescription painkillers. And almost a half-million emergency room visits in 2009 were linked to people misusing or abusing otherwise legal drugs. Treatment costs health insurers an estimated $72 billion a year. Every year, medical centers, hospitals and nursing homes are victims of massive prescription drug thefts that can cost thousands to replace. With locking shelves and unit cases, med carts prevent these thefts from happening on your watch.

Malpractice: One of the largest line items for medical facilities is malpractice insurance. Many malpractice claims come from medication errors. Patients getting the wrong dosage or getting pills mixed up can cause chaos in your facility or worse; could injure your patients. Carts can help you keep organized so you never have to worry about medicines ending up in the wrong hands.

Improve Your Look: The fastest way to improve your bottom line is to get more patients. That's why it is important for your facility to make a good first impression. By updating medication carts, it shows that you have respect for medications, that you take treatment seriously and that your facility is run by professionals who will sweat the details all year round.