Marietta, Georgia-based Wellstar Health System has partnered with medical technology company Becton Dickinson & Company (BD) to integrate an artificial intelligence-powered medication management system.
The partnership will give facilities within the Wellstar system access to the BD Pyxis Pro and BD Alaris platforms, two drug dispensing technologies. The companies said the collaboration “reflects a shared vision to enhance safety, efficiency and patient outcomes across the care continuum.”
The BD Pyxis Pro tool allows users to view system-wide drug inventory, reduce waste and optimize labor efficiency, the companies said. Meanwhile, the BD Alaris tool allows clinicians to submit infusion orders directly from electronic medical record (EMR) systems using barcode scanning and receive status back into the EMR.
“At WellStar, we are focused on providing safe and innovative care to all of our patients, at all times,” Susan Wright, Pharm.D., vice president of pharmacy services at WellStar Health, said in a statement. “Partnering with BD to deploy this technology will strengthen our ability to focus on patient-centered programs and empower our teams to deliver care with confidence and compassion.”
Some tools are already live on the Wellstar site, and more are planned for deployment “in the coming months,” a BD spokesperson told Fierce Healthcare in an emailed statement.
The companies expect the platform to be rolled out system-wide through a “phased approach over the next several years,” a spokesperson said.
The partnership comes as more health systems deploy AI solutions to streamline workflows and ease the burden on clinicians.
According to a March study by Eliciting Insights, 75% of systems nationwide now use at least one AI application, up from 59% a year ago. Additionally, 50% of respondents reported using three or more applications on their system.
