Bar Coding

[3435]

Hi everyone,

My hospital just starting using pump-based bar coding. I work in an ICU and I just love it. I know many hospitals are using the bar coding for IV's and medication administration. I was wondering if you think this is a good safety feature.

[oh hd rn]

the VA where i sometimes work (through an agency) uses what they call "BCMA" (Bar Code Medication Administration). I love it!!!

you sign on with your access code and PIN, the computer signs your eletronic signature...no more hundreds of initials and corresponding signatures (or forgotten ones i should say!)

RIGHT pt... two ways to choose the pt, click the name from the drop down list OR scan the bar code on their bracelet... AND you dont have to log off and log back on to go to the next pt...

RIGHT med... covers PO meds, IVPs, and IVFs, if you get an error message, it could be discontinued, dosage change, expired, etc...

RIGHT dose... see above

RIGHT time... it will let you scan a med one hour before to one hour after the med is scheduled, or you get a message stating the is not due for "67" minutes or whatever...OR you have to fill out a pop up screen as to why the med is late, etc...

Right route... if you have ever worked with Microsoft Excel spreadsheet program, then you're familiar with "pages" with tabs at the bottom...well, there are 3 tabs at the bottom of this program... it separates out PO meds from IVP and IVPB meds, from IVFs, and after you give a boatload of PO meds and try to sign off, you get a promp to check IVP/IVPB meds if any are ordered...nice!!!

med passes done this way are so much faster than the old "101" pages of MARs... and you dont have to interpret someone else's sloppy handwriting...

[JAE56]

THE HOSPITAL WHERE I WORK USES BAR CODING ALSO AND IT IS SIMPLY THE BEST. I HAD NEVER USED THIS SYSTEM BEFORE AND IT MAKES FOR LESS ERRORS BECAUSE THE COMPUTER WILL NOT LET YOU GIVE THE WRONG MEDICATION TO THE WRONG PATIENT, THE 5 R'S KEEP THINGS IN CHECK ALSO. THE ONLY THING WE USE PENS FOR IS TO TAKE REPORT. YOU MUST ALSO THINK MORE ABOUT SECURITY, IN USING YOUR PIN.