Unit Inventory Dispensing Feature

Depending on state requirements, MAT facilities may be required to have medication dispensed directly by a pharmacist or licensed medical staff. These staff members typically prepare doses in advance based on the patient's expected MAT order for the week. The Unit Inventory module supports this workflow by allowing facilities to prepare units and assign them directly to patients.

Required Permissions: Super Admins, pharmacists, and users with the Manage Inventory feature can access this workflow. Pharmacists also need Manage Inventory and Manage Pump access (for sites using pump-dispensed medications).

Enable Unit Inventory

Before using this functionality, enable Use Unit Dispensing feature in Settings > MAT > Location Settings > Use Unit Dispensing. Click here to learn more. 

Pre-Pour Functionality when Unit Inventory is Enabled

1: Unit Dispensing Tab 

Navigate to Instance > Unit Inventory> Unit Dispensing. The Unit Dispensing tab allows users to prepare doses in advance. Click here to learn more about Unit Dispensing.

2: Start the Session 

Before you can start the session, ensure you have completed the start-of-day procedure for automatic pump medications. Complete these procedures for non-pump medications. 

1. From the Unit Dispensing tab, click on the Start button for the desired medication.
2. Once you start the session, the system will open a new window for doses to be dispensed. Each session will show the following sections:

• Session Details: This section displays the start date and end date, the pharmacist assigned to the session, the dispensed amount, the total number of doses, the total number of units remaining, including assigned and unassigned (displayed in parentheses), and a Refresh button to refresh the doses to be dispensed in real time.
• Doses for a started session will be regenerated when the Refresh button is clicked in the Unit Dispensing Session. The doses generated will be saved, and when the user resumes the session, the system will display the most recent updated doses. 
• Pump Details: This panel will be shown only if the medication selected for the session is a pump medication.
• Current Medication: This section shows the current medication(s) checked out by the user to dispense the doses for this session. Click on the arrows to change a bottle (if needed).
• Patient Doses: This section shows a table with the list of generated doses to dispense per patient. Each patient’s row patient has a Start button to dispense the doses.

• Unassigned Doses: This section shows the Unassigned doses to dispense that were added when the session was created. Each row has a Start button to dispense the doses.

  Dispensing Steps 

1. Click on the Start button to dispense doses for each patient.
2. In the pop-up window, click Dose to begin.
3. Click on Print TO Labels. You have the option to print bulk labels, window labels, and all labels.

Print Bulk Labels: For facilities using bulk labels. Click here to learn more.

Print Window Label: Prints only the window label.

Print All Labels: Prints all available labels.

4. Click Next Patient to continue dispensing.
5. When all doses are dispensed, the system will automatically update the number of remaining doses. The remaining doses are calculated based on the total number of units remaining for the session.
6. Once all doses have been dispensed, they move to the Ready for Review status.
7. The assigned pharmacist will see a Review Signature button.

8. After signing, the session status becomes complete and the pharmacist’s signature appears at the bottom.

   

   1. Note: If the pharmacist has Sign with PIN enabled, they can sign using their PIN. Only the assigned pharmacist can sign the session..

3. Current Unit Inventory Tab

Displays all the doses prepared during the unit dispensing session. Click here to learn more.

4: Past Unit Inventory Tab 

Displays all units that were administered, spilled, wasted, or returned to inventory. Click here to learn more.

5: Dispense Unit Inventory Doses to the Patient. 

Pre-poured and assigned Unit Inventory doses appear under the Unit Inventory section of the MAT Order. When you dispense the doses, you'll be prompted to dispense the doses from Unit Inventory.

Follow the steps below to dispense Unit Inventory doses to the patient:

1. Click on the Dispense button from the Dosing Queue or MAT Order tab.  
2. In the Doses to Dispense section, the Dispense From column indicates whether the dose is coming from Facility Inventory or Unit Inventory.
3. Click on Dose # Units will dispense all remaining doses at once.
4. Dispensed doses will highlight in green.
5. Once all doses are dispensed, a message confirms that all available doses were dispensed, and a Dispensed Doses section appears with dispensing details.

6: Order Changes After Doses Have Been Assigned 

Since Unit Inventory doses are prepared in anticipation, any changes to a MAT Order automatically trigger reassignment or unassignment of units based on the updated expected doses.

1. In this example, the patient already has pre-poured medication listed in Unit Inventory.
2. If the MAT Order changes:

• A green confirmation banner will display, indicating the order was successfully updated.

• Units will be automatically matched and reassigned when the medication, dose amount, and dose date align with the updated order and no unit is currently assigned for that dose.

• Units that no longer correspond to the revised expected doses will be automatically unassigned. A message at the top of the page will identify which units were unassigned.

7: Dispense Pre-Pour Doses to Patients with Stop Dosing Flags

Licensed medical staff can prepare doses with no restrictions even when a patient has a Stop Dosing flag. Click here to learn more.