Many issues of close calls or untoward results of medication administration, were on top of issues that healthcare administrators grappled with, until the ubiquitous introduction and use of

How does bar code medication administration increase patient safety in skilled nursing facilities?
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Many issues of close calls or untoward results of medication administration, were on top of issues that healthcare administrators grappled with, until the ubiquitous introduction and use of bar-coded medication administration (BCMA) systems. It is nurse-focused and so, directly involves a narrowed group of employees. It requires that the nurse should scan the patient’s identification bracelet at the bedside and the unit dose of the medication being administered. The other important function of BCMA is alert when there is a mismatch of patient identity or of the name, dose, or route of administration of the medication. BCMA system is tied to the fundamental five ‘rights’ of medication administration: the right patient, drug, dose, route, and time.
No doubt the BCMA system has reduced prescribing and medication administration errors. The hardest part is the human nature of the efforts to reduce errors. No doubt when root-cause analysis of any circumvention of the BCMA system reveals that it was a result of “cutting corners” by nurses, it is never taken lightly when dispensing administrative actions.