Hardin Memorial Hospital rolls-out bedside medication verification

Patient focus is the main priority of Hardin Memorial.  In this tradition, we have begun an important new program designed to ensure patient safety and prevent medical error:  bedside medication verification (BMV).  The BMV team, composed of clinicians and staff, works to make sure that patients receive the correct medication.  

Each patient is given a bar coded armband when checking into the hospital.  The caregiver scans the armband to confirm the patient’s identity, and then scans the medication. The medication is compared against the medications on the electronic medication administration record.  This ensures that the right patient gets the right medication and right dosage in the right way at the right time.

The system will show, for instance, whether a medication should be taken orally or by injection, and it will also raise an alert if a medication is not included in a patient’s profile.  The system checks for potential harmful drug interactions, food/drug interactions, and allergies.  In total, a medication will be scanned multiple times before it is administered to the patient.  Bedside medication verification is a key development in improving a patient’s experience and ensuring a patient’s safety at Hardin Memorial.