Impact of medication storage cabinets on efficient delivery of medication and employee frustration.

This prospective study examined the impact of medication cabinets installed outside patient rooms on nursing and pharmacy workflow. Storing medications and supplies outside patient rooms decreased nursing visits to the automated medication dispensing system, and nurses also reported fewer episodes waiting to access the system when it was busy. Benefits of this study include the ability to demonstrate the impact of medication cabinets on the medication storage and delivery process, prior to housewide implementation.