Did you know that the US pharmaceutical industry is worth over $1 trillion? Unfortunately, a common occurrence in this space involves discarding medication due to improper chamber monitoring.
When it comes to storing medication, monitoring the temperature at your medical facility is crucial. We’ve put together a brief guide on chamber monitoring and control.
Let’s take a closer look.
1. It Preserves the Integrity of the Medication
As you might guess, chamber monitoring and control are all about making sure the temperature inside a storage chamber remains at an optimal level.
In many cases, this involves refrigeration, but you may also need to monitor your temperature for other reasons. The main goal here is to preserve and protect the integrity of the medication so it can be safely administered.
Otherwise, the effects of the drug may be compromised. In some scenarios, it may even be dangerous to administer the drug after it has been stored at an improper temperature.
This is something that you need to avoid at all costs. Even if the drug is not dangerous to administer, dire consequences could arise. For instance, someone who needs to take emergency medication may find that it does not work as intended.
2. It Maintains Client Satisfaction
Medical professionals and patients rely on the quality of the medication they’re receiving. If the integrity is compromised, it can lead to a variety of issues.
From failed treatments to dangerous side effects, it’s essential that chamber monitoring is done correctly in order to maintain client satisfaction. When you invest in proper equipment and procedures, you can ensure that your medication stays safe and effective.
In turn, this will help you develop a better reputation for your clinic. Over time, this can lead to a large number of opportunities. To clarify, you might find that you are able to secure more funding than you would have otherwise been able to.
With more customers, you could also scale sooner than you anticipated. This will allow you to take your facility to new heights and provide quality medication to an even larger number of customers.
3. It Reduces Waste
When medication isn’t properly stored, it could cause a number of problems. Not only would clients be at risk, but you’d also experience the financial burden of having to throw out the drug.
Chamber monitoring helps reduce this waste because you can make sure the medicine is still viable before administering it to a patient. This saves you money and helps you serve your clients in an ethical manner.
Medical waste is one of the most impactful. Taking the steps to reduce it will go a long way when it comes to managing the carbon footprint of your facility.
4. It Avoids Legal Complications
Unfortunately, this is a reality for facilities that do not monitor storage temperature. If it’s found that the medication was not stored correctly, there could be legal complications.
From fines to lawsuits, it’s important to take all necessary steps to avoid these kinds of issues. This is especially true if a patient experienced issues related to improper medication storage temperature.
It’s worth noting that there doesn’t need to be an incident for you to deal with legal consequences. For instance, an employee at your facility may notice an ongoing trend of poor temperature monitoring. They could then report this information to the appropriate organization.
Sometimes, scenarios like this involve downtime. Even a brief period of downtime could cause a substantial loss in revenue. For a decent-sized medical facility, this could equate to tens of thousands of dollars or more.
5. It Maintains Facility Performance
It should come as no surprise that proper chamber monitoring and control can help maintain the performance of your facility. If you’re providing medication that’s not safe or effective, it reflects poorly on your business.
Keeping your facility operating is also crucial when it comes to employee morale. If you are constantly experiencing compliance issues, you may find that your talent goes elsewhere.
Do All Medications Need Temperature Monitoring?
No, not all medications need to be temperature monitored. However, it’s important to check with your facility and see what the recommended specifications are for medication storage.
For example, it’s crucial that you store vaccines at the right temperature for them to remain effective. As flu season approaches, this is something you cannot neglect.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that the presence of COVID will likely mean that more vaccines will be developed and shipped in the future. So, it’s crucial that you have a temperature monitoring policy in place.
In some cases, you may need to invest in additional monitoring or control equipment depending on the type of medication you’re storing. This will go a long way when it comes to avoiding issues in the future.
How Can I Implement Temperature Monitoring?
Getting started might seem overwhelming at first.
However, it’s much more straightforward than most people think. Let’s take a closer look.
Choose the Right Control System
When it comes to chamber monitoring, you’ll need to invest in a reliable temperature control system. Many people opt to go with a computerized system, but others prefer analog solutions.
The choice is up to you, but just make sure that whatever system you choose is reliable and provides accurate readings.
You’ll also want to make sure that the system can be easily calibrated when necessary and is easy to read.
A great way to get started is by using a continuous temperature-monitoring refrigerator. This device will allow you to ensure that your medication is always stored under the right conditions.
It’s also possible to monitor the temperature of this device remotely. As you might guess, this provides a level of convenience that you should not overlook.
This is particularly true for large facilities. In these locations, details like storage temperature can get lost in the shuffle.
The same can be said about using a digital temperature sensor. Temperature sensors will alert you if irregular temperature changes occur. It’s important to note that medication isn’t always ruined as soon as possible the temperature fluctuates.
If you are able to relocate the medicine to a suitable environment, there likely won’t be any problems. Of course, this would be possible without active monitoring. More often than not, you will discover the temperature changes far too late.
Implement a Regular Maintenance Schedule
It’s also important to establish a regular maintenance schedule for your chamber monitoring equipment. This includes checking on the temperature readings, inspecting interior walls and equipment, and conducting tests to ensure that everything is working as intended.
Maintenance should be done regularly in order to keep the system running smoothly. The good news is that a well-implemented system likely doesn’t need a ton of work.
As long as you are vigilant, you likely won’t have much to worry about at all.
Train Your Staff
It’s crucial to properly train your staff on how to use the chamber monitoring equipment properly. You don’t want them to take any risks when it comes to using the system, so make sure that they understand how to read the data and operate the equipment safely.
This also means that you should make sure to keep them up to date on any changes or new information that they need to be aware of.
It’s recommended to hold multiple training sessions per year. This is true even if you do not introduce new information. At the very least, you will be able to ensure that your staff remains capable.
Work With a Professional
Sometimes, the best way to determine your needs is to work with a professional.
A chamber monitoring expert can help you figure out the best system for your facility and make sure that it is calibrated correctly. They can also provide valuable advice on how to maintain the system and ensure that everything is running smoothly.
Put simply, they have all of the tools and resources that are necessary to help you get started on the right track.
It should be noted that developing procedures is not something impossible for clinics to do on their own. However, they are not likely to handle this responsibility as efficiently.
What Should I Look For in a Professional?
Not all companies will be able to meet your needs.
So, you shouldn’t always work with the first person you find. Be sure to take time to check their online reputation. Don’t neglect how important previous feedback is.
Always prioritize companies with positive reviews. It’s also important to look for inconsistencies within the reviews. For example, if many people claim that a certain product exhibits no issues, this is likely true.
Don’t forget to consider their level of experience in the industry. The longer they have been around, the safer of a choice they are.
An inexperienced company could hold you back when it comes to reaching your goals.
Do they target people like you? If they aren’t used to working with medical facilities like yours, they may not be able to help you.
Make sure you research how they charge their clients before proceeding.
This will often help you save a substantial amount of money. For instance, there may be miscellaneous fees you would have been unaware of.
Without the right level of communication, it will be impossible for them to deliver your intended results.
You should also have no trouble contacting them for support. This could lead to a situation where you have to overcome problems on your own. This will take away from your other responsibilities.
What Are Common Issues That Could Cause Improper Temperatures?
These include poor air circulation, incorrect door seals, and inadequate insulation. It’s important to make sure that all these things are checked regularly so that your chambers remain within the correct temperature range.
That way, you can ensure that medications stay safe and effective.
It’s also important to be aware of any sudden temperature changes or spikes in the environment. These can indicate larger issues that could potentially lead to problems with your medications.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these.
Poor Air Circulation
This can happen if there’s not enough fresh air entering and exiting the chamber. This can cause hot spots or dead zones in the environment, which can lead to improper temperatures.
Incorrect Door Seals
A good seal is essential for keeping the temperature of your medications consistent. If it’s not properly sealed, then it could allow warm air to enter the chamber and cause issues with the temperature.
Inadequate Insulation
If your walls or ceiling aren’t properly insulated, it can lead to heat transfer from the outside environment. This could cause your internal temperatures to fluctuate dramatically, which is not ideal for medication storage.
Sudden Temperature Spikes
Sudden temperature spikes or changes can indicate a larger problem with your system. It’s important to address these as soon as possible in order to prevent any damage to your medications.
You Cannot Overlook Proper Chamber Monitoring
By following these simple steps and investing in reliable chamber monitoring equipment, you can ensure that your medication stays safe and effective.
This will help improve client satisfaction, reduce waste, and prevent legal issues related to improper storage temperature. With the right system in place, you can rest assured that your medications remain safe and effective at all times.
Looking for more information on what we can do? Get in touch with us today to see how we can help.