Accuracy at institutional pharmacies is focus of new Cardinal/TCGRx pact

DUBLIN, Ohio Drug distribution and health services giant Cardinal Health has forged a three-year pact with TCGRx, a firm specializing in automation and bar-code-driven inventory tracking, to boost efficiencies and dispensing accuracy among its long-term-care pharmacy customers.

TCGRx offers automated pharmaceutical storage and dispensing systems, including automated oral solid packaging as well as shelving and drawer systems that store, count and package pharmaceuticals into patient-specific doses and pre-packaged formats. The systems can reduce storage space by up to 50 percent, according to Cardinal. They can also make it easier for operators of long-term-care pharmacies to manage inventory, applying sophisticated tracking and reporting that allow for streamlined ordering when inventory levels reach pre-defined levels.

"The systems will help improve patient safety through more accurate dispensing and patient-specific packaging that is easier to read and administer," said Law Burks, vice president of marketing management for Cardinal's healthcare supply chain services-pharmaceuticals division. The result, he said, would be improved patient compliance with drug therapy.