Development of an Integrated Electronic Medication Management System with Barcode Verification

The client faces significant risks associated with inpatient medication errors, which can lead to patient readmissions, adverse health outcomes, and increased operational costs. Existing workflows lack seamless electronic tracking and verification, leading to manual processes prone to errors. The challenge includes integrating multiple hospital information systems and updating workflows to accommodate new medication safety technologies without disrupting ongoing operations.

A large regional hospital network seeking to reduce medication errors and improve patient safety through digital transformation of medication administration workflows.

• Implement an electronic medication administration record (eMAR) system to facilitate end-to-end medication management, from order creation to patient administration.
• Achieve a measurable reduction in medication administration errors, targeting at least a 41% error rate decrease.
• Reduce daily medication error-related costs by an estimated $25,000 in a single hospital setting.
• Establish a unified data model and workflows across multiple hospital sites to support enterprise-wide electronic medication management without disrupting existing systems.
• Enhance medication safety through barcode verification, repackage and label drugs electronically, and incorporate portable nursing stations for flexible administration.

• Creation and processing of electronic medication orders linked to patient data.
• Integration with pharmacy systems for medication preparation, labeling, and re-packaging.
• Barcode scanning verification to ensure correct medication delivery to the right patient, dosage, and time.
• Use of portable nursing stations equipped with barcode scanners for flexible medication administration.
• Unified data model supporting multi-hospital enterprise deployment.
• Real-time updates and communications between order entry, pharmacy, and administration modules.
• System dashboards and reporting tools for medication safety monitoring and analytics.

• Order Entry System for medication orders
• Pharmacy Information System for medication preparation and labeling
• Discharge and patient data systems for comprehensive care management
• Common Data Repository for consolidated data access

• High scalability to support enterprise-wide deployment across multiple hospital sites
• Performance metrics ensuring real-time data processing and updates
• Data security and patient confidentiality compliance with healthcare regulations
• System reliability with minimal downtime and robust support infrastructure
• User-friendly interfaces for clinical staff with minimal training required

The implementation of an integrated electronic medication management system is expected to significantly improve medication safety by reducing errors by at least 41%, decrease medication error-related costs by approximately $25,000 per day in a single hospital setting, and streamline workflows across hospital departments. The enterprise-wide deployment aims to support large-scale, seamless, and efficient medication administration processes, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and operational efficiency.