High-Tech Locks: The Key to Securing Your Facility’s Assets
Hospital administrators must safeguard their facility’s medications and supplies, as required under state and federal regulations and laws, and protect their assets. Facilities may choose to use locking medication or procedure carts, locking cabinets, or even locked storage rooms. To get more news about security lock systems, you can visit securamsys.com official website.
In the past, a simple keyed lock was the only option available. Many nurses can remember being locked out of the med cart, perhaps when the charge nurse accidentally carried the key to the cafeteria instead of handing it off to a trusted employee at the beginning of her lunch break. 
Fast forward to today and supervisors can customize locking carts and cabinets with their choice of high-tech locks. Pharmacies and intensive care areas, such as the OR, PACU, ICU, and ED, are tasked with keeping dangerous medications secure. Yet, these high-stress patient care areas also require fast access to supplies and medications. Choosing locks appropriate for the patient environment increases the security of valuable assets, reduces delays in providing care, results in better patient outcomes, and saves money.
Why Healthcare Facility Security Matters
The Joint Commission (TJC), the largest health care accreditation body in the U.S., sets patient safety standards, including standards for keeping medications secure. Failure to attain or maintain accreditation can affect a facility’s reputation and its ability to maintain contracts with federal health insurance payers.
During an accreditation survey, TJC looks for medication carts that are locked unless they are in active use. Locked medication and supply carts prevent patients, visitors, and unauthorized employees from accessing and appropriating hospital supplies.
Controlled substance diversion by employees is a major concern in the healthcare industry. Health care workers are subject to intense stress and have addiction rates similar to the general public. The data firm, Protenus, reports that 10-15% of healthcare workers abuse drugs. Automatic locking carts may help prevent drug diversion by meeting TJC safety standards for securing medications and allowing administrators to track employee access and the length of time the cart remains unlocked.
The ability to grant access only to employees licensed to administer medications is another reason to secure nursing medication carts with high-tech locks. A combo locking system may prevent medication errors by making it difficult for licensed personnel to request medication administration assistance from non-licensed personnel.
