Automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) were introduced in hospitals in the late 1980s. These decentralized medication-distribution systems provide computer-controlled storage, dispensing, and tracking of drugs at the point of care in patient-care units. Although adoption of the technology started slowly, as of 2008, more than 80% of hospitals were using ADCs to replace manual floor stock systems or medication carts that had previously held a 24-hour supply of drugs in individual patient cassettes.
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