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AQUADOSE

Australia's Leading Precision Antibiotics Reconstitution System

The precise and reliable antibiotics reconstitution system

AQUADOSE represents the cutting edge of technology for today’s pharmacy business.

AQUADOSE has been extensively researched and developed to deliver hassle-free reconstituting of antibiotic powders. The AQUADOSE system represents a quantum leap forward in the area of antibiotic reconstitution for community pharmacy. AQUADOSE has been designed with community pharmacy at its heart providing a safe, easy, trouble free reconsittution software.

AQUADOSE Benefits

  • Make the antibiotic reconstitution process effortless
  • Speed up dispensing, saving you and your patients time
  • Ensure absolute accuracy with electronic calibration
  • Automatic dilution history
  • Comply fully with state regulations
  • Telephone support from our friendly team

Why AQUADOSE ?

Improper mixing of antibiotic suspensions is an ongoing and potentially harmful source of medication errors in paediatric patients. It’s important that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians take an active role in making sure that paediatric suspensions are prepared and dispensed correctly.

Who we are

Autodose is an Australian owned and operated company that has been providing pharmacies with software and equipment to manage the supply and control of Schedule 8 drugs since 2008.

The Investment

For a small monthly fee, you get all the benefits of the AQUADOSE system:

  • Australian made pump
  • Custom developed software
  • Precise electronic calibration
  • Automated handling of all established products

Customised software for fast and accurate dilution

The AQUADOSE system has been extensively researched and developed to deliver hassle-free antibiotic reconstitution. The AQUADOSE system represents a quantum leap forward in the area of antibiotic suspension dilution for community pharmacy. The software has been designed with community pharmacy at its heart providing a precise, reliable, easy and safe antibiotic reconstitution process.  

AQUADOSE is the best choice for antibiotics reconstitution for pharmacies in Australia

For more information, to set up a demo, or purchase AQUADOSE, please Contact Us Today.

FAQ’s

Aquadose is the safer, faster and better solution to volume expanding antibiotic liquids. Below are some frequently asked questions that may assist you with deciding if Aquadose is right for you. You can download our guide to dispensing antibiotic suspensions here.

What information is needed BEFORE preparing a paediatric suspension prescription?

• Verify patient allergy information for all paediatric antibiotic prescriptions.
• Note the patient’s current weight and date of birth on the prescription. This is because paediatric medications are dosed based on weight instead of age. Having the current weight handy will help the pharmacist quickly calculate the correct dose and detect a dose that is too high.

What should be checked BEFORE mixing?

• It is important to make sure that you have selected the RIGHT PRODUCT in the RIGHT CONCENTRATION and AMOUNT.
• Check the Name and Strength on the product you have selected from the shelf with the Name and Strength on the label to make sure that you are preparing to mix the right product.
• Check the volume of water required to be added, which is listed on the bottle label.
• Many pharmacists prefer to verify/check the entire prescription before the suspension is reconstituted. This can help avoid wasting a reconstituted medicine if it is later found the patient needs a different product (e.g., wrong strength selected, patient allergy detected, etc).

What kind of water should be used?

• Most pharmacies use distilled or purified water to reconstitute powders for suspension.
• Water from the tap has fluoride and other contaminants that may not be desirable.
• Because you have the AquaDose system, you will scan the product; check the volume required for dilution is correct, then dilute.
• A log of all dilutions is retained so you or the supervising pharmacist can verify the volume of water added at any time.
• If you have downloaded this guide for use without the AquaDose system you will need to be especially careful when measuring the amount of water to be added, be sure to use a measuring device that is the appropriate size. For example, a 250 mL graduated cylinder should not be used to measure 10 mL of water. Use the measuring device that is closest in size to the amount of water you need for the best accuracy.

How should powders for suspension be reconstituted?

• Tap and invert the bottle a few times so that all of the powder flows freely. Neglecting to do this may trap the powder at the bottom of the bottle.
• Aquadose will add the exact amount of the total amount of water for reconstitution. Shake the bottle vigorously to suspend the powder. Make sure to invert the bottle several times when mixing to ensure that powder adhering to the bottom of the bottle is mixed well.
• Tap the bottom of the bottle firmly on the bench and shake vigorously again.

When measuring devices should be dispensed?

Most paediatric suspensions don’t come with overly accurate measuring devices. So it’s a good idea to dispense a measuring device, like an oral syringe, with every paediatric suspension dispensed. If your pharmacy has these available for patients, be sure to include one with each paediatric suspension that you prepare. Some pharmacies also include a “stopper” that is inserted into the opening of the pharmacy bottle to make it easier to measure a dose with an oral syringe. These devices block the entire opening of the bottle except for a small hole in which the oral syringe can be inserted. Medication can then be drawn up directly from an inverted bottle by the caregiver. The BMJ has an article that outlined the inaccuracy of packaged measures stating that “While whole spoonful dosing was relatively accurate, the median drug content determined for the ¼ and ½ marks on the measuring spoons provided with amoxicillin suspensions was 148% and 132% respectively.” Article can be accessed here.

Are there any special circumstances that should be considered?

• Most antibiotic prescriptions are only stable for a few days or a week after they are reconstituted.
• Check the stability information on the bottle if a patient is being treated for an extended period of time to ensure that the mixed antibiotic will be good for the duration of treatment. For example, a child with a recurrent or hard to treat ear infection may need to take amoxicillin for 21 days, but the suspension is generally only stable for 14 days after mixing. In cases like these, a parent may need to pick up a partial prescription for a paediatric suspension and reconstitute it at a later time. Or, they may pick up the entire prescription in portions (e.g., one week at a time) to make sure that the mixed suspension is stable for the entire treatment time. Ask your pharmacist for direction, or if there’s a policy that dictates what you should do, when these situations come up.

What else can be done to prevent mix-ups?

AquaDose will make it very easy and simple for your pharmacy to reconstitute paediatric suspensions only until someone comes to pick up the prescription, consider storing filled prescriptions for paediatric suspensions in a separate area and labeling them “NEED TO MIX” in large letters. Some pharmacies also add a coloured sticker or highlight these letters to make them very noticeable. That way, it’s less likely that an UNRECONSTITUTED suspension will be dispensed. For one last check, when you’re ringing up a customer, take the bottle out of the bag and make sure that it’s reconstituted.


The Real Benefits of Autodose

Dallas Parade Pharmacy

A moderate sized suburban store located in a small shopping centre in the north western area of Brisbane.

Dallas Parade Pharmacy is dosing approximately 30 + clients per day.

They have had the stand alone Autodose pump installed since November 2009 and Autodose software was installed in May 2010.

Dallas Parade staff have been very happy with the system and more particularly are pleased that the Autodose system has provided a real time stock level of their opioid stock.

This has enabled greater confidence in their stock management and ensured that out of stocks haven’t occurred with this important range and also allows faster reconciliation of the DD safe.

​”It gives me great peace of mind that Autodose keeps track of my stock levels, in real time.”

Capital Chemist Higgins

A suburban pharmacy located in a neighbourhood shopping centre in the north of Canberra.

Before installing Autodose the pharmacy was dosing approximately 10 clients per day manually, which was taking up considerable time for a one pharmacist operation.

They have had a stand alone Autodose pump installed since March 2010 and have expanded their patient list to 15 and had the Autodose software installed in March 2011 with a view to expanding their patient list further.

The main benefit in using the system has been ensuring that patients are accurately identified and doses are verified by the automated pump.

Gains that Higgins has made in using the Autodose system has enabled them to look at expanding the number of clients they currently service – greatly improving their program cashflow without added administrative or staffing burden, while fulfilling a need for the local population.