초록 ▼

In a medication storage cart or ADM machine housing a plurality of individual drawers or bins holding medication and/or medical equipment, the invention provides devices and a method for reducing the risk of nosocomial infection through the use of disposable liners. Disposable liners may be placed w

In a medication storage cart or ADM machine housing a plurality of individual drawers or bins holding medication and/or medical equipment, the invention provides devices and a method for reducing the risk of nosocomial infection through the use of disposable liners. Disposable liners may be placed within the bins, within drawer liners, or within cubies or mini-drawers. In some applications the liners may be color-coded for a predetermined use or patient compartmentalized with dividers, or customized with special labels. The disposable liners may have a tapered form so that multiple liners may be stored in a nested stack to minimize space requirements and to be loaded into a liner dispenser system.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A medication storage apparatus minimizing the threat of nosocomial infection caused by cross-contamination of fomites, comprising: one or more drawers designed for reception into the apparatus, the drawer having adjoining walls defining at least one enclosed space; at least one primary

We claim: 1. A medication storage apparatus minimizing the threat of nosocomial infection caused by cross-contamination of fomites, comprising: one or more drawers designed for reception into the apparatus, the drawer having adjoining walls defining at least one enclosed space; at least one primary liner supported by and sized to fit within a drawer, the primary liner having a plurality of dividers defining a plurality of compartments which can either be uniformly or disparately sized; a plurality of secondary liners, each sized and shaped to hold medications, supplies or equipment and to be removably inserted into one of the correspondingly-sized compartments of the primary liner such that each said inserted second liner occupied substantially the entire correspondingly-sized compartment, the secondary liners being disposable to minimize cross-contamination; wherein the medication storage apparatus minimizes the threat of nosocomial infection by enabling an apparatus user to periodically dispose of the secondary liners and to replace them with new, sanitary liners. 2. The medication storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the medication storage apparatus comprises an automatic dispensing machine in which compartments of the primary liner are designed to electronically interconnect with the drawer. 3. The medication storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secondary liners comprise a thin, plastic material which is either clear or opaque. 4. The medication storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secondary liners comprise a bacteriostatic plastic. 5. The medication storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least two or more of the plurality of secondary liners are color-coded within a color-coding scheme including two or more color designations, with each different color designation indicating the type or class of medications, supplies or equipment contained within the color-coded liner or to a patient-specific risk or condition. 6. The medication storage apparatus of claim 5, wherein two or more color designations within the color-coding scheme are used to indicate the presence of medications having one or more of the following attributes: addicting; a similar-sounding name; look-alikes; innocuous or common in attributes or use; low therapeutic window; or pronounced therapeutic effects. 7. The medication storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one primary liner and the plurality of secondary liners contains individual, patient-specific information. 8. The medication storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a plurality of drawers, and two or more of the drawers each include a primary liner. 9. The medication storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drawer comprises a bottomless drawer. 10. A method for reducing nosocomial infection in a hospital or other medical patient care facility caused by cross-contamination of fomites, comprising the steps of: providing a medication storage apparatus having one or more drawers designed for reception within the apparatus, the drawers each having adjoining walls defining at least one enclosed space; positioning at least one primary liner so that it is supported by and fits within a drawer, the primary liner having a plurality of dividers defining a plurality of compartments which may either be uniformly or disparately sized; positioning a plurality of second liners within correspondingly-sized compartments of the at least one primary liner, the secondary liners each sized and shaped to hold medications, supplies or equipment and to be removably inserted into one of the compartments of the at least one primary liner, such that each said inserted second liner occupied substantially the entire correspondingly-sized compartment; placing medications, supplies or equipment within the plurality of secondary liners; transporting the medication storage apparatus to an area adjacent users of the medications, supplies or equipment, and providing the users with or using them in connection with, the medications, supplies or equipment; periodically removing at least the plurality of secondary liners from the compartments and disposing of the secondary liners; and positioning new secondary liners within their corresponding compartments. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the area adjacent users of the medications, supplies or equipment comprises a hospital room or hospital hallway. 12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of periodically removing the at least one primary liner from its corresponding drawer to clean the at least one primary liner.