Hospitals are moving medicines using cash bags due to COVID-19

The increased number of hospitals ordering cash bags during COVID-19 was initially surprising, but made perfect sense as COVID-19 resulted in an expanding need to ensure medicine movements are secure and hygienic.

Harcor’s range of cash security bags have proven to be ideal for the sanitary storage and transportation of medicines and medical equipment. The bags are very easy to clean due to the PVC material construction. That was not the only factor contributing to increased hospital use…

The use of security seals in emergency environments is not new. If you look at the closest fire extinguisher, as long as it hasn’t been used since the last inspection, you will more than likely find a security seal on it. This quick visual check is key to keeping fire extinguishers in proper working order. Security labels found on resuscitation trolley drawers are one of the many examples of hospital use. When the label is removed it leaves no residue on the drawer, however the face of the label changes to show the text "OPEN", alerting staff that the draw could require restocking.

Security seals instantly reveal access, compared to standard locks, that can be opened and re-locked without leaving evidence of the occurrence. Security seals used in emergency environments are specially designed to enable quick access in addition to security.

Hospitals have their own protocols and uses for security bags. Bags that have not been sealed could indicate that the medicine or equipment contained within requires restocking, inspection or cleaning. The internally accessed window is often used to show the contents. Certain bag colours and styles can be used to represent specific kits for faster identification.

Why did hospitals choose Harcor security bags? Harcor’s Australian designed and patented bag sealing system is a textbook success story of a local security innovation used worldwide.

The bag's security chamber incorporates patented breakout points, resulting in tamper evidence not only being visible on the security seal, but also on the chamber itself. No other security bags on the market include this unique level of security. The latest bag security seal that uses this system is called "Themis", and being physically larger than its predecessors, it offers a quicker visual inspection of the serial number.

Plastolene (clear weaved) bags are available in a few styles such as the Top Open Cash Bag. It is convenient in some instances that contents can be seen through the bag.

If identifying the team that sealed the bag is required, different security seal colours can be allocated to represent different teams. The seal's colour can alternatively be used to distinguish a bag's content status. A white seal could represent that the bags contents have been replenished or serviced and pink seal could indicate the need to replenish medicines or to service medical equipment.

Identifying the person that sealed the bag is also easy, if required. Seals are sequentially serial numbered and the seal's number range can be simply recorded before being allocated to individuals.

For those looking to use a barcode reader or smart phone app for faster auditing and serial number recording, this is possible when using a barcoded security seal. Security bags are all uniquely barcoded for identification.

Popular security bag styles now used by hospitals include Top Open Cash Bag, Utility Cash Bag and Till Bags. These bags and others can be seen here.

Ultimately the words cash or till in the title of the security bag style only describes a single application. Today security bags are used for a variety of other reasons. When it comes to security bag use over the last few of months, it seems like cash is no longer king.

In addition to this range, Harcor has for many years custom manufactured bags for the medical industry. For further details please contact us.