Staff are arguably the most important element of any care facility. Too few staff members or staff that are overworked and overburdened can lead to gaps in care that affect patients. While the entire healthcare industry faces a staffing crisis, long-term care facilities face especially high staffing issues.
Nurses in long-term care facilities document medication administration in an electronic medication administration record (eMAR) at the point of care. An eMAR captures administration events; it does not track or validate the physical inventory sitting in the medication cart. When those two remain unreconciled in real time, discrepancies accumulate undetected and typically surface only during controlled substance counts or regulatory inspections.
Long-term care facilities are being asked to do more with less. Nurses are managing larger resident populations, more complex medication regimens, and increasingly demanding protocols. They’re doing so within the same floor space they've always had, and often with fewer staff to share the load. When medication carts aren't sized and configured for that reality, the consequences compound: slower med passes, more errors, and added physical strain on staff who are already stretched thin.
Pharmacy operations often include pressure to secure controlled substances while maintaining the same level of efficiency. Traditional security measures, like passwords, PIN codes, and physical keys, all have inherent vulnerabilities that create compliance risks. Passwords can get shared between shifts, keys can get lost or duplicated, and PINs are often forgotten or written down where anyone can find them.
Medication errors are one of the most serious yet preventable problems in long-term care facilities. Errors reached far beyond just patient safety. In many cases, these errors spawn financial, operational, and reputational consequences that impact nearly every part of healthcare delivery.
Technology has fundamentally shifted pharmacy practices. Today, pharmacists are clinical consultants, patient advocates, and medication therapy experts who use advanced technology to deliver care far beyond traditional pharmacy boundaries. While that technology offers tremendous opportunities, implementation requires an understanding of how these tools can be integrated into current workflows. Modern medication management technology expands pharmacists' services while maintaining the human connection that remains the heart of quality healthcare.
Cybersecurity has become one of the greatest concerns in today's interconnected healthcare landscape. Pharmacies handle some of the most sensitive information in healthcare, and their handling of personal health records and controlled substance inventories makes them prime targets for cyber criminals.
Long-term health care facilities face mounting pressure to deliver quality patient care seamlessly while managing complex operational demands. The introduction of technology has made this goal easier, but it's not the only important key to creating a successful long-term facility. That's where interoperability becomes crucial. It's about transforming long-term care facilities into integrated systems. Interoperability is the foundation that enables healthcare facilities to communicate, share data, and function as a unified ecosystem. For long-term care facilities, this connectivity can make the difference between fragmented care and truly connected and coordinated patient management.
PHOENIX, AZ – June 17, 2025 - Phoenix, a Bergmann Group company, is proud to announce the achievement of SOC 2 Type 2 compliance in accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) standards for SOC for Service Organizations, also known as SSAE 18. This certification with an unqualified opinion validates our commitment to enterprise-level security for customer data and marks a significant milestone in our journey to provide the highest level of security and trust to our clients.
Medication errors are among the most devastating problems within a hospital’s budget. It could mean extended stays, additional treatments, and potential liability claims. Considering the difficulties, it’s clear why making data-driven pharmacy management is imperative to both patient safety and budget constraints.
