Partnership Overview

Better Meds and BD have joined forces to integrate BD’s automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) with Better Meds’ electronic prescribing and medicines administration (ePMA) system. This collaboration, in partnership with University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP), aims to improve the safety and efficiency of medication administration in hospital settings.

Key Benefits of the Integration

• Automatic transmission of medication prescriptions to the ADC system.
• Reduction of manual selection processes.
• Enhanced patient-centric approach to medication management.

Statements from Leadership

Božidarka Radović, product director at Better Meds, emphasized the mission to enhance medication management by stating:

“By integrating our ePMA system with BD Pyxis automated dispensing cabinets, we are reducing the manual steps involved in medication administration, giving nurses quicker and safer access to prescribed medications. This means fewer interruptions, reduced risk of selection errors, and more time for direct patient care.”

Implementation at UHP

The integration will be rolled out at UHP to improve controlled medication management. Prescribers and pharmacists will maintain their existing workflows in Better Meds, with all prescription updates automatically reflected in BD Pyxis ADCs. This is expected to simplify the medication retrieval process for nurses and administrators, enhancing accuracy and minimizing the risk of missed or duplicate doses.

Comments from BD

Nancy West, Northern Europe Hub director for medication management solutions at BD, stated:

“Through the close supplier collaboration between BD and Better Meds, we have achieved integration between the Better Meds ePMA system and the BD Pyxis Automated Dispensing Cabinets. This ensures seamless medication handling processes for nursing staff, supporting the five rights of medication administration: right person, right medicine, right dose, right route, right time.”

Future Developments

In May 2025, Powys Teaching Health Board in Wales selected Better Meds as its technology partner to implement an ePMA system as part of the national Digital Medicines program, supported by the Welsh government.