What It Is
Riding the waves of digital revolution, the Multi-Dose Medication Management (MMM) system is one of the first such medication packaging systems in the region to dispense patients' medication into a series of single sachets, where each sachet has the right dosage, date and time the drugs need to be consumed.
With the multi-dose sachets organised and labelled accordingly, the MMM system ensures that the right medicines are taken in the right dosages at the right time. This Smart Health technology substantially reduces medication errors by patients or caregivers, improves convenience, and reduces time and manpower spent in managing medication at Nursing Homes and elderly Day Care Centres.
Background
NHG Pharmacy and IHiS first piloted the MMM system in May 2010. Today, the system has been rolled out to benefit patients at 16 Nursing Homes, Institute of Mental Health, and National Healthcare Group (NHG) Polyclinics.
How It Works
MMM system interfaces with hospitals' Electronic Medical Records system, Computerised Physician Order Entry and Clinical Decision Support System modules.
The Pharmacy system and Automated Dispensing & Packaging System (which includes the robot packing machines), combine the various drugs into a series of 'multi-dose' sachets and label them with the patients' and medicine's details with instructions on the date and time of consumption.
The sachets are then fed into the Automated Medication Inspection System for quality checks, ensuring that patients receive the right drugs.
Benefits
For Healthcare Staff
With the medication packaging robot dispensing medicines 14 times faster than humans, the MMM system greatly increases the pharmacy's capacity to offer services to more Nursing Homes. A typical 200 patient Nursing Home now save about 17 man-hours preparing medication, allowing healthcare staff to spend more time on patient care.
Risks of errors are reduced as the sachets are organised and labelled according to the right dosage, date and time the drugs need to be consumed.
For Patients
The multi-dose sachets makes it easier for patients to manage their medication, which often involves taking several tablets a day, and empowers them to live independently at home and in the community.
Patient safety is also enhanced as the system simplifies medication charts for each resident.
Additional Information
The Multi-Dose Medication Management system won the CIO Award 2013 and the Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF) Bronze Award in 2012. 
