Scanning meds

Nurses General Nursing

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My hospital is going to be scanning meds this summer, when the new system arrives. How well does it work? Does it really cut down on errors? We had a staff meeting and one nurse, who has worked with it in the past, said it doesn't cut down any or all that much.

Ideas? How does it work? Does it tell you if there is a dose omission or the wrong dose? If you scan something that is the wrong dose, dose it tell you?

Our system with paper MAR's doesn't work all that well. We have a high incidence of dose omission, primarily because the times are set so close together and the eye does not see it at times. We asked to have the times put farther apart, but we were told that can't be done. :uhoh3:

It also doesn't help that the dr's write 4 pages of orders per day and write them throughout the day, so you have to constantly check your charts, up until the second you go home.

I've primarily been in a computerized hospital. I'll try not to echo too much what others say, but I'll put in my $0.02. Firstly, a computer is just a tool, not a substitue for a brain! Since we have a computerized order entry that pairs up with our med admin program, it works very well to track changes and it's easy to change med times.

Secondly, push for having whatever scans the actual patient be wireless. Something like this, you can leave the computer in the doorway, infinitely better than trying to maneuver a computer into our small rooms where a corded scanned can reach the armband.

Pros and cons to everything, and nurses don't like change, etc, etc to what everybody else has said.

Specializes in Pediatrics.

I like the EMAR now; we've had it for about a year. NO ONE liked it when we first got it though!!! Good things: much harder to make a med error (not impossible, but harder); no way really to forget to sign off a med b/c you sign it off automatically as you give it; more streamlined all around. Things most of us don't like: Our network tends to lose connection very easily; the computers are huge and unwieldy in our tiny patient rooms; our scanners are NOT cordless (trust me, a huge pain...); double sign meds like insulin or narcotics require someone to check with you at the Omnicell and then again at the bedside. But overall it's definitely a good change. They had to do some tweaking of some things the first month or two but it ended up working out fairly well.

Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

It doesn't sound that painful.:lol2: Our rooms are very small with double beds and we are nervous about finding room for a COW. I really like the idea of it finding omissions though. If they won't change the mar for us, then this is the best way, I think.

Specializes in neuro/ortho med surge 4.

I think it is a good system for omitted meds but it takes much longer to give the meds out. I am all for patient safety but I do not want to hear management when OT rises.

EMR basically will not let you complete a task unless you are sure of the task on hand. Everything gives you a warning dialog box, asking if you are sure you want to do this. If you are, click on ok. If not, click cancel and go back to the screen you were previously on.

I love the scanning, and I am so used to it, I would be very uncomfortable working in a facility that did not have it.

We just went to physician order entry. The doc enters the med; pharmacy verifies it. An icon on the computerized chart shows up, indicating a new order. Additionally, anytime you scan the pt, the "due tasks" pop up.

We have bedside, handheld devices that have a screen, keypad and scanner. They are about three times as big as a cell phone (too heavy to fit in your pocket). You scan the meds, you can enter vitals, i/o, etc on these, and the screen shows the eMar. They are fabulous.

I don't think it takes any longer, it certainly cuts down on errors, and it provides instant verification and documentation. What's not to like?

Hi elkpark, I don't have much experience with computerized medication administration and I was wondering how does one know weather or not pharmacy has put in the medication order correctly?

Thanks.

You check it against the original physician's order in the client's chart, same as always. It originally shows up in the computer (in our system, that is) with a little icon that indicates it's a new order that needs to be "verified," and it can't be given until the order has been verified by a nurse. And, of course, all new orders are also checked by the night shift nurse each night, same as the traditional MARs. That's how I know that our pharmacy makes a lot of errors -- from catching them when I verify new orders or do the noc chart reviews. :) If you catch an error, or something needs changing for some other reason, there's a "button" on the computer screen that allows you to e-mail the pharmacy (there's also a button that brings up the med info for whichever med you've highlighted on the screen, all right there on the same computer -- pretty handy).

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