Can 750 people possibly cram into a 16’ x 20’ space all at once?
It seemed like the impossible was being attempted at the MHA Business Summit ’18 in Las Vegas. The term “cramped as a phone booth” comes to mind (for anyone over 40 who remembers pay phones). The new Capsa exhibit was at times four people deep as attendees of MHA’s 15th annual conference were surging into the Capsa exhibit to see the newly unveiled NexsysADC automated dispensing cabinet.
It was a very good problem to have for Capsa’s extended care account management team. During all four exhibit sessions from March 7-8 in Mandalay Bay’s convention center, the team performed demo after demo after demo with long-term care pharmacy owners and directors. These pharmacy professionals had heard about NexsysADC, and they wanted some up-close, hands-on time to see this new technology.
The common theme we kept hearing from those LTC pharmacies was, “Capsa hit a home run.” Pharmacies told us about the pent-up demand for this type of technology – it was easy to use, at a very competitive price and a fast ROI, and it would immediately raise their level of assurance and security when it comes to storing controlled medications and stat doses/1st doses at their LTC facilities. For too long, pharmacies had to choose between inadequate manual storage of first doses (think plastic tackle box) and very expensive automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs). NexsysADC is perfectly in the middle. It’s the simplest, most secure system to fully control the onsite storage of meds and supplies (especially narcotics), but at a fraction of the price of alternative LTC ADC cabinets. Like Goldilocks in the children’s fable who found Baby Bear’s chair, porridge and bed to be “just right”, that’s what NexsysADC was to MHA attendees: just right.
“I haven’t seen many crowds bigger or more keyed up than this, and I’ve attended trade shows for 28 years,” says Jack Burns, Capsa’s Regional Sales Manager in the Southeast U.S. “I was feeling guilty keeping my own customers waiting because I was constantly tied up with 2 or 3 other groups. It was nonstop.”
After talking with long-term care pharmacy owners who took a detailed demo of NexsysADC, here are the common take-away points:
- The price of NexsysADC is highly attractive compared to legacy automated dispensing cabinets that they have already installed at their skilled nursing or LTC facilities.
- The ability to customize storage on a NexsysADC is unique. After getting a demo, many LTC pharmacy owners built their own customized NexsysADC cabinet on Capsa’s new “online configurator.” They were able to tinker with storage capabilities, between CAMs that hold up to 25 SKUs of controlled medications; 6- and 9-bin cassette modules that store 84 or 126 SKUs of routine medications, respectively; and 3”, 6” or 10” supply drawers than can be configured to hold up to 12 SKUs each.
- The level of security is well thought-out and leaves managers feeling confident. From the way nurses sign in, to the physical storage of medications (both narcotics and routine meds and supplies), to the online portal that allows pharmacy and nursing managers to see usage data 24/7 from their phone, tablet, or desktop computer, NexsysADC will prevent diversion and careless medication management and usage.
- The common manual process of storing e-kits and 1st doses/stat doses in a plastic tackle box must change, and NexsysADC is the technology that makes that transition affordable. In fact, this is exactly what Joseph Sabino, RPh, LLC was writing about in his excellent white paper on missed billing, missing doses, and diversion challenges in LTC facilities. As Mr. Sabino writes, “Speaking from experience, I know that security and accountability absolutely have value, and the investment in (automated dispensing cabinets like NexsysADC) does pay off.”
To everyone who spent time at the Capsa exhibit at MHA Business Summit 2018, we would like to thank you for your patience, especially if you waited in line. And if the lines were too long for you to wait, please contact your Capsa Representative, or click here to contact us. We will gladly bring the demo to your pharmacy. We will be definitely returning to the MHA Business Summit in 2019. Capsa’s continued investment in new technologies like NexsysADC are perfectly aligned with MHA’s mission, which is “Through the use of innovative technology, solutions and services, MHA assists in managing health care costs, improving operational efficiencies and supporting business growth.”
Read more about NexsysADC: https://www.capsahealthcare.com/product/nexsysadc-automated-dispensing-cabinet/