Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Alex Van’tLeven | 150728-N-LQ926-011 EVERETT, Wash. (July 28, 2015) Loretta F. Mounts, pharmacy...... read more read more
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EVERETT, Wash. – Sailors and civilians participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the re-opening of the Navy Branch Health Clinic Everett pharmacy, July 28.
Over the course of seven months the pharmacy underwent a complete modernization. The change is designed to improve safety, add storage, reduce wait time and increase efficiency.
“There’s a huge difference,” said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Christopher J. Bennett, from Spokane, Washington, who works in the pharmacy. “We have way more space now, new storage shelves and new robotics to replace a system that was put in in the 1980s.”
Planning for the pharmacy began in 2011. Each following year a specific need was budgeted. Construction began in December of last year and finished July 11. Before the upgrade technicians and pharmacy personnel worked with antiquated equipment in a condensed space with little storage.
“Before we did a lot of halving tablets and doubling because we didn’t have enough space for the different strengths,” said Loretta F. Mounts, pharmacy department head. “Back then, we had to consolidate, which can lead to patients getting confused.”
Improvements also include new furnishings.
“We bought fixtures for a pharmacy, instead of hand-me-downs of benches, cabinets, and whatever else,” said Mounts. “Now it’s actually fitted to be a pharmacy, so we can put things were the need to be to improve efficiency.”
Automation is another large portion of the upgrade. A new filling machine was added, the Parata Max.
“We automated, which increases our safety,” said Mounts. “Part of that automation process is the automated filling machine for the top 200 drugs. Now the technician doesn’t have to count those really fast movers, the machine does that and it labels and caps them. Everything is now barcoded so when it gets to the technician there is rarely ever a mistake.”
Also updated is the patient waiting system. A digital queue system was installed to better organize how the pharmacists see patients. Along with the queue system two additional service windows were added to increase the number of patients who can be seen at a time.
According to Mounts the upgrades were much needed.
“We finally feel we’re working in a real pharmacy,” said Mounts. “It’s kind of cool, when you walk in here it looks like a pharmacy.”
| Date Taken: | 07.28.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.29.2015 16:25 |
| Story ID: | 171482 |
| Location: | EVERETT, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 206 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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