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 At Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC) , a 900-plus-bed teaching facility with a diverse patient population, we store a variety of items on our nursing units, including confidential patient information and charts that need to be protected under HIPAA, as well as patient medications that must be secured per Joint Commission requirements. For more than two years, we have used CompX eLocks to secure the cabinets that hold these items.

Prior to installing the CompX eLocks, we kept medications in a locked room — a practice we had thought was sufficient. However, our Joint Commission surveyor determined we needed increased medication security in these storage rooms, as supply cabinet keys were often left in their locks, allowing our housekeeping staff to access the cabinet contents. To meet Joint Commission requirements, it was essential to further restrict employee access to our storage cabinets. Furthermore, the keys to storage room cabinets were commonly misplaced by personnel and were a hassle to track down when access to cabinet contents was necessary. Staff members were also responsible for remembering to relock the cabinets before they left the room, and this did not always happen.

Product Features
Utilizing keypads or magnetic strip or proximity readers, CompX eLocks are available for both cabinets and refrigerators and can be programmed to grant access to up to 250 users. The cabinet locks use four AA batteries to activate a gear-driven, spring-bolt mechanical latch that can also be “jump started” in the event of battery exhaustion.

Using CompX’s Window-based LockView software, we can add, edit, view, and delete users and supervisors, as well as their credentials, and assign access rights for specific locks to users and supervisors. LockView also enables us to assign time-based restrictions to locks. In addition, the software keeps an audit trail of the last 1,500 access attempts for each eLock in our facility.

Improved Security and Employee Accountability
Offering keyless entry, CompX eLocks are an ideal solution for LLUMC. Authorized employees simply swipe their proximity card ID badges in front of the electronic locks to gain cabinet access. Because employees wear their IDs on their person at all times, we no longer waste time trying to track down cabinet keys. Once the cabinet door is shut, the eLock automatically re-secures the cabinet. Furthermore, using the LockView software, we are able to grant access rights only to qualified staff members. Achieving cabinet security could not be simpler.
In addition, LockView’s audit trail features encourage employee accountability and, at the drop of a hat, enable us to investigate discrepancies and determine which users accessed a cabinet at particular times. However, we have not yet had a need to do so. All told, the use of CompX eLocks has positively impacted medication and supply control and significantly heightened security at LLUMC.

Ease of Use and Implementation
Our nursing staff has found the CompX eLocks to be easy to use, and our locksmiths experience little difficulty in installing the locks throughout the facility and managing user access rights with LockView. Due to the versatility of their design, CompX eLocks can be used in a variety of applications. We currently have a few hundred eLocks installed on cabinets and refrigerators throughout our facility, and our use of the locks will expand as the Joint Commission’s standards for securing medications are only becoming more stringent. 

Etienne Kirkpatrick is a locksmith in Loma Linda University Medical Center’s lock and key department.