Insourcing Ready-to-Administer Syringes with IV Robotics

Kevin N. Hansen, PharmD, MS, BCPS, Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital.  The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) indicate that whenever possible, medications are to be dispensed in the most ready-to-administer (RTA) forms available from the manufacturer or in pharmacy-repackaged unit dose. These guidelines and regulations create a clear picture that hospital pharmacy departments should make every effort to provide RTA forms of compounded medications to clinicians. Given the continued challenge of managing national drug shortages, it can be difficult to maintain a consistently adequate supply of RTA drug syringes. In light of these supply challenges, some facilities may consider insourcing the compounding of syringes. Dr. Hansen discusses their considerations in deploying an IV compounding robotics program at Moses. H. Cone Memorial Hospital.