Implementing barcode medication administration and smart infusion pumps is just the beginning of the safety journey to prevent administration errors.

Abstract

Healthcare-related technology has been widely acceptedas a key patient safety solution to reduce adverse drug events bydecreasing the risk of human error. The introduction of technology canenhance safety and support workflow; however, it does not eliminateall error types and may create new ones. Barcode medication administrationand smart infusion pumps are two technologies utilized duringmedication administration to prevent medication errors before they reachthe patient. This article reviewed different error types with barcode medicationadministration and smart infusion pumps and examined how theseerrors were able to occur while using the technology. Recommendationsfor preventing these types of errors were also discussed. Hospitals must understand the technology, how it is designedto work, which errors it is intended to prevent, as well as understandhow it will change staff workflow. It is essential that metrics are set byhospital leadership and regularly monitored to ensure optimal use of thesetechnologies. It is also important to identify and avoid workarounds whicheliminate or diminish the safety benefits that the technology was designedto achieve. Front line staff feedback should be gathered on a periodic basis to understand any struggles with utilizing the technology. Leaders must also understand that even with full implementation of technology, medication errors may still occur.