Our Pharmacy is currently evaluating the use of carousels in the main Pharmacy. Does anyone else currently use this system? What are your likes/dislikes? Do you think it makes your job as a Buyer easier?

Name of Facility: Allegheny General Hospital

City, State: 800-bed acute, teaching hospital

Years as a Buyer: 8

Hi Lori, we have been using the Talyst carousel for about 6 months. I am very happy to have it. I like the fact that it produces a suggested order every day, it virtually eliminates picking errors and it is faster (most of the time) than picking items off a shelf. The biggest downside to it is that only one person can use it at a time. The preplanning process before implementation was quite gruesome but the pain was worth it.

Name of Facility: Aspirus Wausau Hospital

City, State: not for profit hospital

Years as a Buyer: 30

We have had the carousel for over a year now. I love the reports available. You do have to plan fill times as only one person can access it at a time. We are a 312 bed hospital. We have only one carousel. We have all our oral solids, topicals, injections, ENT drugs in this one carousel. I would love to have room for UD liquids and bulk liquids.

Name of Facility: Flagler Hospital

City, State: Community hospital

Years as a Buyer: 30

We also have Talyst carousels, but we have two of them.

1. It makes the job easier on the technician side
2. Depending on your fill schedule (omnicells, etc..) it can be very hard up front - we have about 1 hour a day to get in and restock our order (in the morning). Then it is give and take.
3. I think the buyers ordering process is easier with the suggested order
4. Talyst is getting better with their product, as we have had them out here for a serious sit-down about functionality.
5. Reporting it OK, but should be getting better.

I would be happy to discuss anything offline as well.

Have a great weekend!

Name of Facility: Billings Clinic

City, State: Hosptial/Clinic Hybrid

We have had the AmerisourceBergen carousels in place for over 4 years. This system was difficult at first as were are an alpha test site. We have 4 carousels and a packaging system that supplies 3 hospitals with 2 more hospitals coming soon. After working closely with the company over the years it works wonderfully. The difference for us is that ABC was able to integrated the system so that our system at St. Joe's can request and re-fill the pyxis machines at the other sites which has cut down on our inventory. It also does a suggested order and splits out and orders our 340B buyback products.

Name of Facility: St. Joseph Medical Center

City, State: Acute care

Years as a Buyer: 25 plus

My advise is: Get something that will interface with the other pieces of automation that you might have plus your wholesaler. We have Med Carousells - AcuDoses - NarcStation. All these are McKesson joined by a McKesson wholesaler we buy drugs from. All these pieces "talk" - to a certain extent.