Vanguard

Issue date: 3/24/08 Section: News

USA's Children's and Women's Hospital has become the first hospital in Mobile to use the system Medication Administration Check. It is a bar coding system that allows registered nurses and licensed caregivers to make sure they have the right patient matched with the right type of medication.

"The advantages are that when the nurse or respiratory therapist are giving medication, they get visual checks on the computer that they've selected the right medication for the right patient and it's the right dose at the right time," said Charlynn Will, registered nurse and clinical applications coordinator at USA's Children's and Women's hospital.

The MAK bar coding system is one of USA Medical's systems patient safety initiatives.

According to Will, there are national initiatives mandated for patient care, and the bar coding system is a way to ensure that none of the "five rights" of patient safety are not breached.

The five rights are right dosage, right medication type, right time for dosage, right route, and right patient.

All patients under the system have a bar coded wristband, and all medication is also given a bar code.

The MAK system utilizes bar code scanners and wireless computers. The nurse or caregiver will scan the medication and then the patient's wristband. After the computer compares the patient's name to a medication administration work list of all the medication the patient has ordered, the computer will verify if the "five rights" are being met. If there is an inconsistency between the medication scanned and the patient's list, an alert will appear that eradicates the possibility for potentially dangerous mistakes.

The MAK system has been implemented in parts of USA's Children's and Women's Hospital and will be expanding throughout the facility. The system is being installed in phases, and USA Medical Center is next on the agenda to have the technology implemented.

"Right now, it's a pilot on the 4th and 5th floor. It will be expanding over the next few months to all inpatient rooms in Medical Center and Children and Women's," Will said. "It's an initiative for both hospitals, even though it was started at Children and Women's."

The MAK bar coding system received positive feedback from medical personnel and patients alike. It supposedly eases the workload of doctors by easily compiling a list of medication, while also lifting the burden of handwritten documents off of the shoulders of nurses. It may also serve to give patients an increased sense of safety and service.

"They've actually been pleased with it. It's been a really positive experience," Will said.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools