New equipment designed to enhance safety and efficiency by automating quality control oversight during compounding of medications LOS ANGELES, March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Los Angeles Lakers' power forward Pau Gasol has partnered with Grifols, a Barcelona-based global health care company with U.S. headquarters in Los Angeles, to bring new technology to the pediatric pharmacy at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The new Phocus Rx system will automate quality control oversight during the preparation of pediatric medications. "It's a win-win-win for Children's Hospital Los Angeles, for Grifols and for patient and families," said Gasol.
A charitable donation from Grifols, the Phocus Rx system is designed to enhance the safety of compounding medicines while also improving efficiency and workflow in the sterile compounding pharmacy at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The equipment visualizes and records pharmacy compounding procedures so that pharmacists can remotely validate the pharmacy technician's activity and ensure its accuracy.
Gasol facilitated the donation through his personal connections with both Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Grifols, a company based in his native city of Barcelona. As a former pre-med student with a strong interest in medicine, Gasol is a frequent visitor and champion for Children's Hospital Los Angeles, where he observed spinal surgery in 2010. "Just as teamwork is critical in sports, I think it is essential to form partnerships between businesses, nonprofits and government agencies," said Gasol. "Pairing Grifols with Children's Hospital Los Angeles seemed like a natural fit, and I was happy to bridge the connection."
As a pediatric hospital that treats many children who have rare and serious illnesses, Children's Hospital Los Angeles tailors its treatments to the unique medical needs of each patient, said Carol Taketomo, director of Pharmacy at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
"In order to make sure that the right medication gets to the right patient at the correct dose, we have a required process of checks and double checks," said Taketomo. The Grifols Phocus Rx system adds an additional measure of safety. We are excited to have new technology that enhances our workflow efficiency and serves as an important quality-control check in our pharmacy validation process."
In addition to Phocus Rx, Grifols will donate an inventory management system to the hospitals' pharmacy infusion center that will automate the cataloguing and inventory control of medicines and compounds, thereby enhancing efficiency and speeding the delivery of prescriptions to pediatric patients.
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