SAN DIEGO, June 6, 2012 – CareFusion today announced it has signed an agreement with Codonics, a global leader in image documentation and medication safety systems, to resell the Codonics Safe Label System SLS 500i with the Pyxis® Anesthesia System 3500, enhancing CareFusion’s leading system for simplifying and improving the availability, storage and documentation of OR medications.
“Hospitals are under enormous pressure to improve medication safety and become more efficient in managing medication throughout their facilities—from the pharmacy to the patient,” said Rusty Frantz, senior vice president and general manager of Dispensing Technologies at CareFusion. “The Pyxis Anesthesia System provides secure, convenient and traceable access to controlled substances, helping health care providers streamline workflow and pharmacy operations. By offering the Safe Label System from Codonics with our solution, our customers will be better positioned to address critical medication safety guidelines and further improve clinical efficiency.”
The Pyxis Anesthesia System is a secure medication management system that helps ensure access to and traceability of controlled substances in the operating room. The Codonics Safe Label System SLS 500i is a first-of-its-kind FDA-Class II medical device that provides safe, compliant labeling of medication in the OR or anywhere syringes are prepared. SLS improves medication safety, efficiency and accuracy, applying leading technologies to help reduce drug errors.
When combined, the offering helps hospitals address important medication safety guidelines in the perioperative environment by helping clinicians ensure syringe labels comply with the National Safety Patient Goals of The Joint Commission Standards and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Guidelines for medication labeling. Both systems help eliminate time-consuming manual processes and complement the workflow of anesthesiologists.
“In a short time since implementing the Pyxis Anesthesia System and the Codonics Safe Label System, our clinicians have reported numerous safety and workflow enhancements,” said Sal Morana, RPh, PhD, director of pharmacy and associate vice president of patient care services at Porter Medical Center in Middlebury, Vt. “Among them, we have experienced less variability in the medication administration process and enhanced verification methods, which have helped prevent dosage errors.”
“We are excited to partner with CareFusion to enhance medication safety,” said Peter O. Botten, president and CEO of Codonics. “The Safe Label System brings pharmacy control into the OR to help ensure that patients are treated with the right drug and the right concentration, with barcode technology to improve the syringe preparation workflow. The Safe Label System complements the Pyxis Anesthesia System and acts as an electronic double-check, bringing all of the best practices for medication safety together to support guidance-driven compliance while enhancing medication safety and clinical workflow.”
About CareFusion
CareFusion (NYSE: CFN) is a global corporation serving the health care industry with products and services that help hospitals measurably improve the safety and quality of care. The company develops market-leading technologies including Alaris® infusion pumps, Pyxis® automated dispensing and patient identification systems, AVEA®, AirLife™ and LTV® series ventilation and respiratory products, ChloraPrep® skin prep products, MedMined® services for data mining surveillance, Nicolet™ neurological monitoring and diagnostic products, V. Mueller® surgical instruments, and an extensive line of products that support interventional medicine. CareFusion employs more than 14,000 people across its global operations.