A conversation between Dennis O’Donnell, president of MedSpecialtyPak, and some nurses at a hospital resulted in a new product that benefits not only those nurses but, more importantly, patients as well. The new product, designed by MedSpecialtyPak with nursing and physician input, is called EZ Meds Swallow Kit, and it enables people who suffer with dysphagia or who have other difficulties swallowing medications, to do so with more ease and with more safety.
EZ Meds Swallow Kit contains an individual pill crusher, a sealed 50g container of unsweetened applesauce, and a wrapped spoon. The kit can be purchased in its entirety, or the pill crusher or applesauce can be purchased individually. In addition, while the pill crusher is designed for one-time use, it is sturdy enough that patients can take it home if they anticipate a problem with swallowing pills following their discharge from the hospital. The concept sounds simple, but the problems the kit can overcome are significant. For example, O’Donnell explained his conversations with the nurses by saying, “They stated they sometimes had difficulty finding pill crushers on the floor (at the hospital), so they had to resort to inconvenient means to crush the pills. Even more serious, according to the nurses, is that using a common pill crusher that has not been thoroughly cleansed can result in a possible transfer of medication residue (from one patient to another), which could lead to a serious allergic reaction.” The nurses also expressed some concerns with possible safety issues in the current meds delivery practice. ODonnell pointed out that hospitals choose applesauce to give patients with their crushed medications “because it is widely accepted by most patients and easy to swallow.” In most cases, applesauce is easily obtainable, and convenient to handle and store. It is usually available in two sizes, a 4-oz. baby food jar or in a plastic cup, hand-packed in the hospital kitchen. Patients can normally consume an ounce or two of applesauce when taking crushed meds. With a 4-oz. jar, the unused portion is either discarded, which is a waste, or someone must take the time to apply the date, patient’s name, room/bed number, and refrigerate it; it will then be available for reuse with the next meds application. However, this can result in a collection of numerous jars of partially consumed applesauce because a new jar is opened for the next meds delivery, and nurses are reluctant to serve from a previously opened jar. The applesauce could be tainted, could cause patient gastro intestinal problems, and could result in delayed discharge from the hospital. Applesauce served from the hospital kitchen can also present safety issues. Food handlers having careless personal hygiene habits or who are ill can pass their infectious illnesses on to patients; plus, applesauce packed in the kitchen requires that the product be properly sealed, dated and refrigerateda labor-intensive activity. But the advent of the EZ Meds Swallow Kit can prevent all of that. Since the product came on the market in May 2004, O’Donnell said the response has been positive, saying, “We’ve had good feedback from Lutheran General (Hospital), and the other area hospital customers.” And Sheila Coogan R.N., nurse manager at Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago, in particular, commented, “We report a significant decrease of nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infection when (the kit) is used in conjunction with other practice changes.” And O’Donnell added, “Several of our hospital customers have replaced kitchen-packed applesauce with our 50g serving for general hospital use; it is unsweetened and Kosher Approved.” He went on to say, “The use of the kit or the pill crusher allows hospitals to comply with both the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the Institute of Safe Medical Practices (ISMP). Both groups recommend that meds remain labeled until directly given to the patient, and that no unlabeled meds be taken into the patient’s room. But most pills that are crushed are done on the meds cart, which is difficult to move into a patient’s room, or at the nurses’ station. In the course of the transfer of an unlabeled, crushed pill, a problem could arise causing a distraction, and a question later about just what that crushed med is. But now the pill can be crushed at the patient’s bedside.” O’Donnell said the pill crusher cannot be used with capsules, or with enteric-coated pills, and strongly suggested that any questions relating to crushing medications should be directed to the pharmacist. ODonnell stated, “MedSpecialtyPak, Inc. is just a little over a year old and is not yet widely known. The growth of the company has been set at a deliberate pace. Now that we have a base to develop from, we are adding to our direct sales force and our inside team. It is very important to us that we develop a close personal relationship with each of our customers and respond to their requirements in a timely manner. We have just been awarded an FSS contract to supply the Veterans Administration hospitals and other facilities, which will help to expand our company recognition.” A native of Chicago, O’Donnell became involved with the notion of EZ Meds Swallow Kit because he happened to be at the hospital working on another project, representing his company that invented a repair kit for IV pumps. He said the idea of the EZ Med Swallow Kit “was developed on the basis of a conversation with a nurse group concerned with patient safety, improved infection control, and efficiency.”
