Sustained barcode medication administration rates less than 2 percent in a large healthcare system

Abstract

Purpose Implementation of bar code medication administration (BCMA) technology is an effective strategy to decrease medication administration errors. Consistent use of BCMA technology within a hospital system should result in improved patient safety through the reduction of medication related administration errors. Based on this premise, a large health system established an annual goal to reduce BCMA override rates to less than 2%. Methods A large health system located in the Intermountain West developed a BCMA override reporting tool to assist with reducing BCMA override rates. An essential component of the reporting tool is the visual management strategy which allows caregivers to easily identify goal progress. The tool also includes information that managers can use to determine how often their direct reports override medications. Pharmacy caregivers can also use the data from the reporting tool to address specific issues related to medications that do not scan properly. Results Implementation of the tool and education on its use, resulted in individual follow up with nursing units and nurses, ultimately producing sustained barcode overrides less than 2%. Conclusion By implementing reporting systems that identifies specific opportunities for improvement, barcode override rates can be decreased to less than 2% in a large healthcare system.