OAKLAND — The Pharmacy Department and the Sub-Acute Rehabilitation Unit at Garrett County Memorial Hospital are working together to host a trial of a new Sabal medication cart system.

The Sabal cart is a complete system designed to help ensure that the right medication is given to the correct patient in the correct dosage form at the right time.

“Patient safety has always been one of our highest priorities here at GCMH, making the functionality of the Sabal cart of great interest to us,” said Dr. Lance Rhodes, director of Pharmacy at GCMH.

The cart functions as an automated drug storage cabinet that may be used to take medications to the patient’s bedside. This reduces the possibility of medication errors occurring. Barcode technology provides the advantage of scanning both the medication and the patient via the patient identification bracelet.

The scanning of the medication is done to compare the medication given to the medication order to ensure they are the same and that the medication has been ordered for that specific patient.

“We are moving toward implementing barcode technology in our medication administration process. This trial will provide an opportunity to explore the best methods of implementing newer technologies to continue to provide a safe environment for our patients,” Rhodes said.

The trial period has two phases. In the first, the cart will be used as a medication cabinet for specific patients with a limited number of medications retrieved from the Sabal cart. The second phase will include using the cart as the sole medication delivery system in the Sub-Acute Care Unit. The pharmacist will enter medication orders into the computerized system and the nursing staff will be using the cart to provide medication delivery to the patient’s bedside.

At the patient’s bedside, the cart’s automated system will only allow for access and delivery of medications for that specific patient. This phase will provide a more complete examination of the Sabal cart design and functionality to provide a safe, efficient, technology-assisted process of administering medications.

“The trial will be completed in early February, at which time we will evaluate whether this is a system that we would like to pursue as a hospital wide service,” Rhodes said.