Medication Lock Box Features & Applications
When searching for a secure medication management solution, you find a variety on the market. It can be overwhelming and difficult to determine which is the right fit for you. There are various medication lock box features and applications to consider when determining which is the right solution for your needs. It is important to understand what a medication lock box is, the features to consider, and the various applications.
What is a Medication Lock Box?
A medication lock box is a secure, locked box to store medications, prescriptions, and other critical items. Its purpose is to ensure only authorized individuals who have a key and/or an electronic code are able to access the medication and critical items. A medication lock box is a great way to secure and safely store prescriptions, OTC meds, narcotics, multi-use creams or ointments, vitamins, supplements, and other critical items.
Medication Lock Box Features to Consider
When choosing a medication lock box, there are a variety of features to consider. Medication lock boxes come in many sizes, forms, and types. Will the lock box be used at home or commercially? Do you need a lock box or a safe? Is it for indoor or outdoor use? Do you want a stationary, portable, or mounted lock box? What type of materials suit your needs? Which color or lock type fits your needs?
Commercial vs. Consumer Models
When searching for a medication lock box, there is a wide spectrum of available models ranging from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars. Not all medication lock boxes are built the same nor are they comparable in terms of compliance, quality, or materials.
For a parent who is looking to secure medications at home to keep away from their children, a $24.99 heavy-duty steel lock box may be good enough but not absolute. Alternatively, a childproof medication bottle may suffice.
If you are using the medication lock box in a clinical setting, it is essential that you look for a lock box that is built to adhere to the compliance regulations. If you are a long-term care facility or pharmacy, you need a box that is DEA and HIPAA compliant (Learn more about our medication lock box designed for long-term care pharmacies). If you are a hospital, you are likely looking for a JCAHO compliant medication lock box.
If you are looking for a medication lock box for use in healthcare or a clinic setting, our medication management solutions are a great fit for you!
Box vs. Safe
In your search, you will also notice some products are labeled as a safe vs. lock box. What is the difference? A safe has thicker walls and doors, while lock boxes have thinner walls. The thickness and material directly influence whether it is fire resistant.
Safes are fire resistant, while lock boxes are not. Safes are more expensive and typically used for highly sensitive information or high value items. On the other hand, lock boxes are most suitable for medication and key storage.
Riemer Systems medication management solutions are ideal for medication and critical item storage in healthcare settings including hospitals, clinics, medical centers, long term care pharmacies, and long-term care facilities.
Indoor vs. Outdoor
Lock boxes that are designed for outdoor use by realtors or contractors are built differently than medication lock boxes. Many outdoor lock boxes are very small and are simply intended for keys and other small items. Also, outdoor lock boxes need to be weather resistant, keep out moisture, and be suited for various temperatures.
Our medication lock boxes and locking cabinets are designed for indoor use in patient rooms, hallways, anesthesia carts, and other clinic settings. Furthermore, our lock boxes are large enough to hold medications and critical items. The best is our wall mounted locking cabinets that come in various sizes to suit your needs
Portable vs. Stationary
You want to consider where the medication lock box will be located and if it is fixed to a given location or portable. A medication lock box may be stationary, or surface mounted to a counter, portable for transportation, or wall mounted in a hallway or room.
If you have limited flat surfaces and need to secure the lock box to a given location, you will likely want a wall mounted medication management solution. Typically, wall mounted medication management solutions are slimmer and referred to as a Wall Mounted Locking Medication Cabinet (View Wall Mounted Locking Cabinets).
If you need secure transport on-the-go, in an ambulance or from the pharmacy to a facility, then you will want a portable lock box (View Portable Electronic Control Box with Tracking Software). Perhaps, you want a lock box that can be surface mounted to a anesthesia cart (View Portable Electronic Control Box).
Whether you are looking for a portable, stationary, or wall mounted lock box for a clinical setting, our medication management solutions are designed for your needs.
Materials
You will also want to consider what material is best for your needs. Steel, plastic, and polyethylene are just a few of the possibilities. The material will directly influence fire resistance, temperature range, durability, abrasion resistance, etc.
Our portable lock boxes are made of White PVC High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE). This material is known for its shock resistance, which prevents damage during transport and in the even the box is dropped. Our wall mounted locking cabinets are made of PVC construction, which provides a clean, crisp look when mounted on the wall.
Lock Type
You will also find there are various ways to lock a medication lock box or locking cabinet. Some boxes lock automatically, require an electronic code, require a key, or even require two keys! Furthermore, for electronic lock boxes, it is important to consider how many user codes you will need or if an audit trail is required for compliance.
Riemer Systems offers 3 different lock options to fit your needs (Learn how to choose the right lock for you needs). Our self-locking lock automatically locks when the door is shut. Our manual/shared use lock is like a hotel safe that allows for a revolving user code, so that multiple users can use the lock without having to reprogram the lock. This is great when you have patient turnover or individuals on various shifts who require access. Our audit trail lock provides a time and date stamped record also.
Box & Door Colors
When considering the material, you will notice that the materials tend to go together with the box/cabinet color as well as the door color. For example, a steel box will likely be all gray and the items inside will be hidden. Alternatively, a clear plastic lock is entirely see-through and the items inside are visible.
At Riemer Systems, we have designed our medication lock boxes to have clean, professional look where the door can be customized to your needs.
- Clear Door: Ideal when you need to see & know exactly where items are.
- White Door: Provides privacy when you need it.
- Frosted Door: Provides HIPPA compliance by protecting patient information.
- Simulated Wood Grain: Provides a homey feel for long-term care.
If one of the above options does not meet your exact needs, contact us to see if we can create a solution for you. All of our medication lock boxes and locking cabinets have been designed to fit a specific customer’s need.
Clinical Applications & Benefits
At Riemer Systems we are always developing new products to solve our customer’s medication and equipment security needs. In 2000 when Riemer Systems was founded, our goal was to solve the problems of unsecure storage of medications in hospitals. Over time, our product portfolio expanded to fit the needs of clinics, long-term care facilities, and VA hospitals. Today, we work with VA hospitals, hospitals, medical centers, long-term care facilities, and long-term care pharmacies across the country.
Wall Mounted Locking Cabinets for Patient Rooms
Our hospital, clinic, medical center, and long-term care customers choose the Wall Mounted Locking Cabinets for patient rooms, where you have limited flat surfaces. The Wall Mounted Locking Cabinet enables nurses and caregivers to re-use multi-use patient medications and ointments without throwing the unused medications out.
The investment in the Wall Mounted Locking Cabinet has been cost-effective and helped various hospitals reduce pharmaceutical waste, reduce medicinal supply costs, and increase workflow efficiency. Furthermore, hospital customers have reported a reduction of MDRO transmission and increased safety at the bedside. The Wall Mounted Locking Cabinet has increased infection control and JCAHO compliance.
When it comes to customizing the Wall Mounted Locking Cabinet, many hospitals choose the standard self-lock that requires a code to open and automatically locks when the door is shut. Hospital providers tend to choose either a clear door for visibility or a frosted door for HIPAA compliance.
Alternatively, there are times when a hospital may choose the portable electronic control box instead. If the patient will be moved throughout their stay, the portable electronic lock box can be used to secure the patients medication and follow the patient throughout their stay at the hospital.
Wall Mounted Locking Cabinets for Hallways
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Veterans Affair (VA) Medical Centers faced the challenge of improving infection control by storing medications, creams, and ointments close to the patient rooms but outside of the infectious zone. Thus, they needed a wall mounted lock box for the hallway that would align with NFPA 101 (Life Safety Code) requirements for fire exit corridors and ADA requirements for hallways.
Riemer Systems listened to their needs, coordinated with the compliance experts, and adapted our wall mounted locking cabinet to their specifications. The Hallway Wall Mounted Locking Cabinet is slimmer in design with the lock on the side of the box instead of the front. It projects no more than 4 inches from the wall (View the Hallway Compliant Keyless Wall Mounted Locking Cabinet).
Mounted Lock Boxes for Anesthesia Carts
Our Portable Electronic Control Box (PECB) is designed to be mounted on anesthesia carts to store medications safely, securely, and conveniently on the cart. It enables hospitals to save time and money by not having to transport drugs back to the pharmacy when the surgery is delayed while adhering to JCAHO compliance standards.
Summary
Riemer’s Systems portable electronic control boxes and wall mounted locking cabinets are the ideal medication lock box for healthcare and clinic settings. Our medication lock box product portfolio includes solutions for patient rooms, hallways, anesthesia carts, and installed in all departments throughout the hospital to store medications and critical equipment safely and conveniently. Browse our medication lock boxes online and customize it to fit your needs. If you don’t find a product on our website that meets your needs, contact us and let us know what you are looking for and we can develop a solution for you.
Browse Medication Lock Boxes
Shop our medication lock boxes online. If you are buying in bulk, please request a quote for a quantity discount. If you don’t find a product on our website that meets your needs contact us and let us know what you are looking for and we can develop a solution for you.