Raising the Bar With Bar Coding
Bar-code medication administration technology is one way to help prevent medication errors before they reach the patient. With this technology, a bar code is placed on each medication the patient is to receive. Each medication bar code contains the National Drug Code, which includes the drug's name, its dose, and packaging information. Another bar code is placed on the patient's hospital identification bracelet.
Before administering a medication, the nurse opens a copy of the medication order in the chart electronically or written, properly identifies the patient using two patient identifiers, then scans the patient's bar code followed by the medication bar code using the scanner. Scanning both bar codes in this manner helps ensure administration of the right medication to the right patient at the right time by alerting the nurse about any discrepancies. There is a variety of discrepancy alerts a nurse could receive including but not limited to: look-alike/sound-alike drugs, patient allergy, medication contraindications, dosage mistakes, and administration time mistakes. Some facilities have computer systems that put extra safeguards on high-risk medication administrations like insulin, blood products, and controlled substances. Even with all the safeguards in place, errors can still occur. As a nurse, you must take this responsibility seriously and follow policy and nursing knowledge.
Bar codes in action
Two examples of how bar-code medication technology prevented medication errors are illustrated here.
A nurse attempting to administer furosemide (Lasix) 40 mg IV to a patient scanned the product at the patient's bedside and received a warning message that read “No order in the system.” She didn't administer the medication and immediately reviewed the patient's chart. After reviewing the chart, she realized that the medication wasn't intended for that patient.
In another incident, a nurse scanned the bar code on the patient's identification bracelet and then scanned the bar code on the patient's levofloxacin (Levaquin) container. The nurse received a warning message that read “Dose early.” The nurse didn't administer the medication until 2 hours later, when the medication was due to be administered.