Barcoded Medication Administration: A Case Study

A technological system that my hospital use is the barcoded medication administration (BCMA). The BCMA is directly related to nursing practice care and patient safety, which can impact the reduction in medication error, a benefit of using this technology. According to Seibert, Maddox, Flynn, and Williams (2014), the BCMA system records, tracks, and ensures that the correct medications are delivered to the right patient. In fact, Seibert et al. further stated that the five rights are incorporated in the bar-coding system. Therefore, the nurse has to first identify the right patient then scan the bar-coded wristband, scan the medication, input the correct dosage, route and reason for giving the medication and finally the right time is usually

seen on the electronic medication administration record (eMAR). The BCMA is most effective when combined with computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and the eMAR (Seibert et al., 2014). The combination of EMR, BCMA, eMAR, and CPOE is informatics at its maximum. The study conducted by Seibert et al. showed a significant increase in the total medication accuracy rate with the implementation of BCMA combined with eMAR. Nurses play a major role in medication administration and the BCMA can help to eliminate medication errors. However, this new information technology should not impede the nurse’s care of the patient. The nurse still has to inform the patient of possible side effects of the medication. The BCMA enables patients to see the system at work and can be reassured by the added safety measures. The challenge of using the BCMA can occur when the bar code on the patient’s wristband and/or medication is not visible enough to be scanned. This can cause a delay in the administration of medication to the patient.