Nursing Informatics
Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA)
BCMA is a safety technology that links the patient, the medication, and the clinician via electronic verification to reduce administration errors.
Workflow Steps
- Scan the patient's identification wristband.
- Scan the medication barcode.
- Validate the 'five rights' on the screen before final administration.
- Document the administration immediately upon delivery.
Risk Factors
- System downtime requires a move to paper-based contingency protocols.
- Barcode readability issues can lead to manual overrides.
- Avoid 'workarounds' like scanning tags on laptops instead of patients.
- Regularly audit override logs to ensure patient safety.
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