Discuss the potential for medication errors in the current system. What processes are in place that could make medication errors more likely to occur?

You are working at a long-term care facility and have been appointed to serve on a new committee. The purpose of the committee is to improve medication safety in the facility. Currently, the medication orders are handwritten in each patient’s chart. The orders are then sent to the pharmacy via fax. The nurses copy the medication orders by hand onto the medication administration record (MAR). The facility does not use barcoding or computer-generated MARs. Medications are supplied from the pharmacy in bulk rather than in unit dose. (Learning Objectives 2, 3, and 7)

1. Discuss the potential for medication errors in the current system. What processes are in place that could make medication errors more likely to occur?

2. Develop suggested solutions for each of the process issues identified. What additional suggestions for improving medication safety can you identify?

3. What would be the potential advantages and disadvantages of implementing a barcoding system in this facility?