Carehome Services

Chemistree developed the Single Use Medication System [SUMS©] following the dawning realisation that existing Monitored Dosage Systems that were being widely used, were unsafe.

The Problem with existing Monitored Dosage Systems?

Existing Monitored Dosage Systems with reusable parts are transported back and forth each month from the care home to the pharmacy to be re-used the following month. These systems become increasingly more worn and dirty as they are handled from month to month, increasing the risk of bacterial and/or viral contaminants being present.

To our knowledge, no pharmacy in the country disinfects the MDS systems, let alone sterilises them.

The risk of cross infection is heightened by the fact that a large number of pharmacy service providers can not guarantee that the home will receive the same MDS system ancillaries each month and thus may actually be vectoring the contaminated MDS system from Home A to Home B.

Single Use Medication System [SUMS©]

Chemistree’s development of the innovative Single Use Medication System [SUMS©] was born from a desire to improve healthcare in line with our mission statement – “Innovation to Improve Healthcare”.

Safety?

The principle is simple - A MDS system that is made up of entirely single use components so the user receives a new system every time, thus eliminating any risk of cross infection associated with a MDS systems with re-usable parts.

The Single Use Medication System [SUMS©] uses a cold seal system to securely keep the medication in the blister. Foil based systems require temperatures of up to 120 degrees Celsius to attach the foil which is clearly an issue for the medication in the blister. Chemistree believes that the exposure of the medication to such extreme temperatures is not good for the stability and effectiveness of the medication in the blister.         

User friendly?

With its simple, clear layout, the colour coding makes it easy for the user to know they are giving the right medication at the right time.

A clear numbering system on the blisters makes it easy for the user to follow the correct administration pattern.                                 

Environment:

The SUMS system is made from entirely recycled plastic racks and recycled card for patient dividers and reminder cards.