The implementation of the unit dose system method according to the specific circumstances of the hospital can be broadly divided into two ways, centralized and decentralized. The former is mostly used by small and medium-sized hospitals, and the latter is commonly used by large hospitals.
1. Centralized In accordance with the prescription in the drug fee that prepare each patient each drug a day (24 hours) dose, placed in each patient's small drawer, these drawers are combined in a cart, can be convenient in the ward and pharmacy shuttle back and forth between.
2. Decentralized Large hospitals set up ward pharmacies by department or several small departments, for example, surgical pharmacy, internal medicine pharmacy, gynecology and pediatrics pharmacy. Each small pharmacy in accordance with the prescription to prepare each patient a day (24 hours) of the various doses of drugs required, and then placed in the patient-specific drawers or boxes. In addition, some hospitals use unit-dose packaging in the main pharmacy, sent to the small pharmacy through an automated transfer device, the small pharmacy according to the patient's 24-hour dose of packaging again, placed in a small drawer of the drug cart, by the nurse will be pushed to the drug cart to the beds sent to patients.
3. The groundwork for the unit-dose system First, various drugs in the hospital's formulary are first packaged and labeled according to standard quantities, which are decided by the Pharmacy Board. If commercially available drugs are already packaged in unit dose, they will not be repackaged in unit dose. Secondly, it should be equipped with the necessary unit-dose packaging machines, label printers and computer control system software, as well as some auxiliary facilities and equipment. Third, there should be a certain number of packaging technicians (or pharmacists). It must be noted that the role of the pharmacist in the unit-dose dispensing system should not be ignored, guiding the rational use of medication, supervision of drug management is still the pharmacist's responsibility.
Unit dose dispensing system is conducive to the development of drug dispensing to the direction of automation. In developed countries, hospitals equipped with automatic dispensers have been quite common. The pharmacist's medication counseling and guidance for rational use of medication has been adopted in a way that is closer to the patient.