Barcode medication administration is an innovative asset to nurses everywhere. It is one of the most effective ways for the nursing staff to ebb the medication errors that occur on the floor.
How does this tool work?
A bar code scanner is wirelessly hooked up to a facility computer. Nurses will walk around with this convenient handheld device and scan the patient’s wristband barcode, the medication’s unique barcode, and his/ her own personal ID barcode. This verifies that the nurse is certified to administer this medication and also that they are giving the correct medication to the correct patient. The barcode system does that by running a system check and matching up the medication with the patient name. This information transaction is communicated with many other systems in the facility, thus information is quickly and efficiently shared throughout healthcare and management officials.
Advantages:
· Increases overall patient care and safety
· Minimizes possible medication administration errors.
· Allows informatics coordinators to monitor medication delays
· Informatics coordinators are able to see the exact times medications were given.
· Greatly heightens communication clarity between nurses and the pharmaceutical departments· Most importantly, patient satisfaction escalates immensely.
