Bedside barcoding is a new medical advancement that uses barcodes on patient bracelets matched with barcoded medications to positively identify patients and ensure the right patient receives the right medication dose at the right time. Nurses scan their badge, the patient's bracelet, and the packaged medication barcode before administration to verify this information. While this process is time consuming and requires training, it provides accurate documentation of medications administered and reduces medical errors by preventing confusion between similarly named drugs.

1. Bedside Barcoding An advance in Medical Technology.

2. What exactly is Bedside Barcoding? A new medical advancement that uses a barcode on patient bracelets and is matched with a barcode on medication that is prescribed specifically for that patient.

3. How Barcoding works Patient is assigned a bracelet that contains an assigned barcode, usually consisting of their hospital number. When medication is ordered, it gets sent to the computerized pharmacy system for verification by pharmacist. Nurse scans their barcode name badge and enters password. Nurse scans patient’s barcoded bracelet. Patients’s medication record will appear. The nurse scans the packaged medication before administration to check that the medication is for that patient, the dose is right, and the time for the dose is correct. An Electronic Record is automatically produced. .

4. PROS AND CONS OF BEDSIDE BARCODING PROS Accurate documentation of meds administered (who, what, when). Reduced medical errors. Provides positive identification. CONS Time consuming. Training costs.

5. What a barcode looks like

6. Medications commonly confused Novolog Novolin Keletra Kepra Amaryl Reminyl Taxol Taxotere Zyrtec Zantac Flomax Volmax

7. See how easy it is to confuse medications! HARMFUL MEDICAL ERRORS ARE ESTIMATED TO OCCUR IN 1-10% OF PATIENTS. It is estimated that 770,000 patients are injured. 7,000 patients die each year.