Senators Examine Prescription Technology to Curb Medical Mistakes
During a hearing yesterday, the Senate Special Committee on Aging reviewed new technologies, including pill-sorting robots, computerized syringes and hand-held computers, that could help curb medication mistakes. Illinois pharmacist Peter Klein demonstrated a hand-held computer system that helps patients who have difficulty reading pill bottle labels by reading pill bottles for them. The computer scans information embedded in a computer chip in the bottle's barcode and then translates the information into speech. Neil Reed, head of the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center's pharmacy department, demonstrated Robot-Rx, a machine that reads barcodes on individually packaged pills, medicine vials and other products and then sorts them into carts. According to Reed, the robot can dispense thousands of medicines per day and has a 100% accuracy rate. Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) said, "New technologies like these help prevent us from short-circuiting our seniors." But Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) said that such technology is "too expensive for hospitals." Graham is cosponsoring a bill that would give care providers $97 million in technology grants over 10 years to help them purchase such technology (AP/Las Vegas Sun, 5/4). To view a webcast of the hearing, go to
http://aging.senate.gov/whatsnew.htm.