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Jane Phillips Medical Center Receives Award for Barcode Medication Safety Initiative
Jane Phillips Medical Center recently received the 2007 Consorta Award in recognition of advancement and technology trends for its bar code medication safety initiative.
“The new system—IntelliDOT bar code medication administration system—is an important new development in greatly reducing errors associated with administering medications, and assuring better outcomes for our patients,” said David R. Stire, JPMC President/CEO. The IntelliDOT System eliminates medication errors by matching the correct patient with the correct medication and method of delivery at the bedside.
Jane Phillips Medical Center is one of the first hospitals in the region to adopt the patient safety initiative. According to the most recent annual practice survey conducted by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, only 13.2% of hospitals reported using such a system.
When physicians prescribe medications, the written orders are transcribed by a pharmacist. The system verifies whether the patient has any identified allergy to the medicine, and that the prescription is compatible with other medicines the patient is taking. The patient’s medication is then sent to the nursing unit with a unique barcode attached.
Each time a nurse prepares to administer medication, she scans her identification badge, the patient’s ID bracelet, and the bar code on each individual medication. Through a wireless communication system, the nurse is alerted if there is a mismatch related to the five “rights” of medication—the right patient, the right medication, the right dose, the right time and the right route.
“This system has exceeded our expectations for medication error reduction, ease of use, and ease of implementation,” said Marc Rafferty, Vice President of Clinical Services. “By implementing this system in our hospital, we underscore our ongoing commitment to safe and effective patient care.”