Workarounds to Barcode Medication Administration Systems: Their Occurrences, Causes, and Threats to Patient Safety

The authors develop a typology of clinicians' workarounds when using barcoded medication administration (BCMA) systems. Authors then identify the causes and possible consequences of each workaround. The BCMAs usually consist of handheld devices for scanning machine-readable barcodes on patients and medications. They also interface with electronic medication administration records. Ideally, BCMAs help confirm the five "rights" of medication administration: right patient, drug, dose, route, and time. While BCMAs are reported to reduce medication administration errors--the least likely medication error to be intercepted--these claims have not been clearly demonstrated. The authors studied BCMA use at five…

• NI
  National Institutes of Health
• AF
  Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality