Omnicell Launches Upgraded IV Robotic Compounding System

March 29, 2022

Omnicell, which develops automated medication management and analytics, has announced the IVX Station, designed to scale the benefits of IV robotic technology. The new systems are aimed to automate workflows, optimize operations, and help improve patient care in a complex regulatory environment.

The company said its completely reimagined, fully automated IV compounding robot is designed to deliver the patient safety, accuracy, cost savings, supply chain control, and compliance benefits of its predecessors, while also addressing industry issues with throughput and reliability. The IVX Station supports three times the throughput speed of current IV robotic technology, includes a design focused on high reliability to eliminate re-calibration downtime, and maintains the approximate footprint of a four-foot hood, Omnicell said.

IVX Station is available through Omnicell’s IV Compounding Service, which combines the technology with trained pharmacy technicians and services. The “as-a-service” approach looks to help reduce reliance on outsourced sterile compounding, while allowing health systems to reduce drug waste in the operating room, the company said.

“Nearly a decade ago, University of Rochester Medical Center began a journey toward a fully autonomous approach to medication management as an early adopter of IV robotics technology,” said David Webster, director of acute care pharmacy operations at University of Rochester Medical Center. “Improving quality and safety in compounding operations is a long-term strategic investment we made to enhance patient care and elevate the role of the pharmacy. We believe Omnicell’s IVX Station will be a catalyst for driving operational and patient safety priorities, ultimately helping us advance technology-driven pharmacy operations.”

With its Winter 2022 Release, Omnicell said it has strengthened its portfolio of intelligent infrastructure solutions for medication management with the following enhancements:

• Omnicell One scorecard and benchmarking capabilities: New capabilities within the cloud-based, technology-enabled service consolidate pharmacy supply chain data from across a provider’s ecosystem. Medication location, quantity, and usage information can now be tracked to reduce the likelihood of stockouts that can negatively impact patient care. Scorecards designed to track Spend, Savings, and Pharmacy Performance should enable pharmacy leaders to streamline resource planning, enhancing operational efficiency and value. 

Additional functionality in Omnicell One allows health systems to benchmark their organization with ISMP best practices for overrides as compared to similar health systems. This feature helps identify factors leading to over-reliance on overrides.
• New Refrigerated Carousel: Refrigerated medications comprise 20% of overall hospital drug spend, making it crucial to have supply visibility and control. The Refrigerated Carousel provides cold storage and temperature monitoring for medications and is designed to deliver safety, tracking and inventory management.
• Expanded form factors for XR2: Health system pharmacies can now manage more medications through the XR2 Automated Central Pharmacy System, offered through Omnicell’s Central Pharmacy Dispensing Service. Expanded form factor compatibility will further drive safety and visibility for a larger portion of medication inventory.
• Workflow enhancements for XT Anesthesia Workstation: Upgrades to the XT Anesthesia Workstation include the addition of a new barcode for syringe labels. Providers can scan medications directly into EHR systems, which should strengthen patient safety measures, helping to deliver the right dose to the right patient. This also enables hospitals to track eligible medications for 340B program compliance.
• New workflow functionality for XT Automated Dispensing Cabinets: New features simplify error resolution for controlled substances, expand partial waste tracking, and enhance telemetry capabilities to maximize system availability.

“Over the last two years, the healthcare industry has faced staffing and supply chain shortages, as well as rising costs, that are fundamentally changing pharmacy care,” said Scott Seidelmann, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Omnicell. “Omnicell is committed to continually innovating and delivering new technologies like IVX Station that are designed to help overcome these challenges, making pharmacy care smarter and safer for all.”

More details on the new system and Winter 2022 Release are available at the Omnicell website.