Midlands trust launches digital medicines management system

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust has gone live with an interoperable digital medicines management system.

The system went live on 15 June 2026 and according to UHCW is the first of its kind in England. It integrates with the trust’s electronic patient record (EPR) to improve patient safety and reduce the administrative burden on frontline staff.

The project, funded by NHS England, brings together Omnicell’s automated dispensing cabinets and robotic dispensing system with Oracle Health’s EPR.

The integration allows clinicians to see medicine availability across the hospital within the patient’s electronic record, including what is stocked on wards, what is available elsewhere in the organisation, and what needs to be ordered from the central pharmacy.

Professor Tracey Brigstock, chief nursing officer at UHCW, said: “For our nursing teams, this new system means they can begin a medication round knowing exactly where medicines are, how to obtain them, and that the process is both efficient and safe. For patients, it reduces delays and builds safety into every step of the medicines pathway.”

Candice McGrane, digital lead for nursing, midwifery and AHPs and deputy CNIO at UHCW, added: “Co-design with frontline teams was essential.

“Our focus was ensuring this integration reduced system hopping, supported safer decision-making, and genuinely gave time back to nurses, rather than adding complexity. This has been about getting the workflow right for staff and patients.”

Previously, staff had to use multiple standalone systems to prescribe, locate and dispense medicines, creating additional administrative steps and reducing time available for patient care.

The trust expects the system to streamline medicines management workflows, strengthen medicines governance, reduce waste and support safer care.

For nursing staff, the integration removes the need to switch between the EPR, treatment rooms and dispensing cabinets during medication rounds. UHCW says the system should reduce the time nurses spend searching for medicines.

The system also introduces safeguards for pharmacy teams by ensuring that only active, clinically verified medication orders can be selected for dispensing. Access to richer, real-time inventory data is expected to improve stock management and reduce medicines waste across the organisation.

The platform supports closed-loop medicines administration and barcode scanning, helping to reduce the risk of delayed or missed doses, minimise human error and strengthen audit trails throughout the medicines pathway.

Ed Platt, senior commercial director UK and Ireland at Omnicell, said: “This implementation demonstrates the real value of interoperability when it is clinically led.

“By integrating Omnicell automation with the Oracle Health EPR, UHCW now has a single, real-time view of medicines availability embedded directly into clinical workflows.

“As an NHS England–sponsored first-of-type programme, it provides a scalable and repeatable blueprint for other trusts seeking to unlock the full value of their digital infrastructure.”