What can’t technology do? From open heart surgery to the MRI, technology has transformed medicine.
One such example is the bar code medication administration (BCMA) system, which has helped reduce medication errors by 65 to 85 percent, according to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority.
But like any technology, BCMA systems aren’t perfect. Health care workers still need to do their part to make sure that patients are kept safe from medication errors.
According to the Patient Safety Authority, common problems to look for include:
- Pharmacy does not scan products arriving in pharmacy for readability.
- Bar code is applied to wrong medication.
- Drugs are not available in ready-to-use unit doses.
- Nurse fails to scan patient or medication.
- Bar code on patient or medication is unreadable.
- Patient wristbands are not on patients.
- Computer alert is overlooked or overridden.