Bar Code Medication Error
Errors made while administering medications are one of the most common patient safety, health care errors reported. It is estimated that 7,000 hospitals deaths yearly are attributed to medication administration errors, and each error can cost a health care organization over $8000 per occurrence. (Anderson & Townsend, 2015. p.18). Nurses spend a significant amount of time managing, preparing, and administering medications. Nurses can spend up to forty percent of their day, involved in tasks that center around medication administration (Bourbonnais & Caswell, 2014). Over the past few years, there has been an incredible amount of new technology introduced in health care that affect medication administration. Electronic health records, computerized order entry, smart pumps, and bar-code medication charting all add complexity to the task of medication administration. Bar-code medication administration (BCMA) is one safety measure that can be implemented that can reduce medication administration safety errors and adverse
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drug events. The advantage of BCMA is positive identification of the patient and medication at the time of administration (Bagby, Mims, Schneider, & Petrich, 2011).
In the organization where I work, we have a fully integrated Electronic Health Record (EHR).
We use many different tools to integrate communications regarding medications. We have been live on an EHR since 1999, and adopted Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) in 2007. Nurses are alerted in the EHR when a new order is placed by the provider. Our medication reconciliation, documentation of the medication history, and discharge medication prescription is all electronic. Pyxis is fully integrated into the EHR, and last year we integrated, smart-pump integration, and BCMA. Since implementing BCMA there has been a steady decline in adverse drug events. The staff has adapted well to the technology, which is measured through data extracted from the EHR. One report measures bar-code med scanning compliance and we are at 86% compliance. The data is detailed enough to see which staff members are overriding scanning at the time of medication
administration.
Although we have data to support good adoption and improved patient safety through the use of BCMA, the staff complain about the amount of time they are spending on the computer, and the perception is that it is taking them away from the patient. There are complaints of poor EHR workflows, alert fatigue, and too much documentation. Nurses using BCMC and an EHR need to be aware of the impact of technology, the limitations, and the benefits for improving patient safety (Bowers, et al, 2015)
drug events. The advantage of BCMA is positive identification of the patient and medication at the time of administration (Bagby, Mims, Schneider, & Petrich, 2011).
In the organization where I work, we have a fully integrated Electronic Health Record (EHR).
We use many different tools to integrate communications regarding medications. We have been live on an EHR since 1999, and adopted Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) in 2007. Nurses are alerted in the EHR when a new order is placed by the provider. Our medication reconciliation, documentation of the medication history, and discharge medication prescription is all electronic. Pyxis is fully integrated into the EHR, and last year we integrated, smart-pump integration, and BCMA. Since implementing BCMA there has been a steady decline in adverse drug events. The staff has adapted well to the technology, which is measured through data extracted from the EHR. One report measures bar-code med scanning compliance and we are at 86% compliance. The data is detailed enough to see which staff members are overriding scanning at the time of medication
administration.
Although we have data to support good adoption and improved patient safety through the use of BCMA, the staff complain about the amount of time they are spending on the computer, and the perception is that it is taking them away from the patient. There are complaints of poor EHR workflows, alert fatigue, and too much documentation. Nurses using BCMC and an EHR need to be aware of the impact of technology, the limitations, and the benefits for improving patient safety (Bowers, et al, 2015)