Barcode medication administration and patient safety: A case study in Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Patient safety is one important aspect of healthcare. Medication errors are among factors threatening such safety. Medication errors not only endanger the healthcare environment but also impose high costs on health system. Therefore, this study investigated the association between nurses' knowledge of Barcode Medication Administration (BCMA) and its implementation at AL-Zahra Academic Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. Materials and Methods: This is an applied descriptive analytical (association) study. The research society included nurses working in different wards of AL-Zahra Hospital with a sample of 242 persons based on Morgan table (95% Confidence Level). A questionnaire with 45 closed questions and a 43 item checklist, the content validity, and reliability of which was confirmed by professors and through Re-Test method and Cronbach's alpha measurement of 0.774, respectively. Data collection was performed through direct reference by researchers, and findings were analyzed using central tendencies and dispersion parameters of descriptive statistics and Pearson Chi-Square tests of analytical statistics. Findings: Findings indicated that the rate of nurses' knowledge of the BCMA and its implementation in AL-Zahra Hospital was 63.1 and 43.9%, respectively, and there was an association of 0.805 between two variables which was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The rate of nurses' knowledge of the BCMA is relatively favorable, its implementation is not desirable, and the association between two variables is strong but insignificant in AL-Zahra Hospital.