Proposal for the Implementation of Barcode Medication Administration (BCMA) to

Enhance Patient Safety

The safety of patients is of the highest priority in healthcare contexts, as medication

errors continue to be a substantial factor in the occurrence of unexpected occurrences. The

barcode drug delivery system, also known as BCMA, is a method that verifies the authenticity of

medications at the point of care by scanning the barcodes on the medications. Reduce the number

of errors that occur during the distribution of drugs. The purpose of this proposal is to describe

why BCMA is necessary, how it will be implemented, what the anticipated outcomes will be,

and how it will help contribute to the reduction of errors and the improvement of clinician-

patient safety. When properly implemented with the integration of electronic health records and

staff training, BCMA has been shown to reduce medication errors by as much as fifty to eighty-

five percent, according to studies. Furthermore, this demonstrates that BCMA not only makes the

process of administering medications more effective, but it also considerably increases the

degree of safety for patients.

Patient safety could be significantly improved with the implementation of barcode

medication administration (BCMA), which has the potential to reduce the number of medication

errors, improve the accuracy of drug administration, and enhance the quality of care that is

delivered to patients. In order to verify that the appropriate medication is provided to the

appropriate patient at the correct moment and in the required dosage, BCMA mandates the

reading of barcodes that are contained on patient bracelets and medications. The method

establishes a connection with the Electronic Health Record (EHR) to maintain medication

records in an automated way, which decreases the amount of data entry that is required. The
BCMA incorporates key characteristics such as the verification of patients by scanning the

wristbands of patients to ensure that they are who they seem to be. This reduces the likelihood of

errors that occur as a result of incorrect recognition, to ensure that they are following the doctor's

instructions. This will help to limit the number of errors that occur when administering the drug

(Helmons et al., 2019).

Mistakes that occur during the administration of medication, such as delivering the

incorrect prescription or dosage, have significant ramifications for the patient's safety and have

the potential to result in severe harm or even death. These mistakes can be avoided by having the

patient take the drug as directed. It has been demonstrated through research that the BCMA

system, when utilized in conjunction with electronic health record integration and clinical

decision support, can reduce the number of prescription errors by as much as 85 percent in

hospitals. BCMA contributes to a more controlled and safe medication process by following the

five rights. These five rights include the right patient, the right medication, the right dose, the

right time, and the right route.

I would use several important measures and methods for successfully monitoring the

outcomes of this implementation. Some of these are collecting basic information on medication

errors, adverse reactions to drugs (ADEs), and the percentage of people who follow the current

rules for medication administration. This information is employed as a guide to see if the BCMA

worked after it was initialized. I will additionally be keeping up to date on adverse drug events to

determine if there is a drop in accidents that happen when medications are given. This will be

done after BCMA is put into place. To make it easy to compare, similar data should be obtained

over the same amount of time. For instance, I will contrast the baseline data to the number and

type of medication errors that occurred after BCMA was implemented. Another factor to
consider is the rate of staff compliance when administering medications utilizing BCMA

technology.

In addition, I plan to investigate how patients performed as a crucial step toward

understanding the larger consequences of BCMA. Some of the patient outcomes that will be

examined are the length of hospital stays, the rate of readmissions, and patient satisfaction scores

before and after BCMA is implemented. Keeping track of clinical results would make it possible

to evaluate certain clinical outcomes that are linked to managing medications. Some of these

results could be the management of long-term conditions or the appearance of issues driven by

errors in medication. Finally, creating a system for ongoing quality improvement will make sure

that the advantages gained from using BCMA last for a long time. Utilizing data from BCMA,

regular audits of medication administration practices are carried out, along with ways for staff to

provide ongoing feedback on the system's success and areas that need improvement (Mulac et

al., 2021).

Barcode Medication Administration (BCMA) implementation needs a strong relationship

and communication with staff to make sure that they adhere to the change, that technology is

accepted easily, and that it is used correctly. At the start, I would discuss what the goal of BCMA

is and how it works to improve patient safety and lower the number of medication mistakes. I

would also give numbers that show how BCMA has successfully reduced the number of adverse

drug events in other healthcare organizations.

In order to show the technology to nursing staff, pharmacists, IT workers, and other

important people, meetings should be scheduled. Staff members need to be involved in

discussions about BCMA for a long time before the system is installed. Also, it's essential to deal

with concerns in a proactive manner by asking workers what worries they might have about
BCMA. Some of these worries could be lost time or money, problems with technology, or

difficulties with getting things done. People should be honest in their answers, and possible

problems should be pointed out while focusing on the plans for how to solve these problems.

There should be a thorough timeline of the implementation procedure, including pilot testing, a

phased rollout, and the full implementation. This is a significant function. Furthermore, it is vital

to indicate in detail what the staff is supposed to do at each stage. Explain to them that the goal is

to add BCMA to the normal process without making it more difficult or stressful than necessary

and that changes will be made based on what they suggest (Grailey et al., 2023).

For Barcode Medication Administration (BCMA) to work and be implemented

effectively, it is important to understand the human factors that affect change and resistance to

change. People can be resistant to change in healthcare for several different reasons, including

psychological, social, and organizational ones.

Healthcare professionals may believe that the BCMA adds more stages to the process of

giving medicine, making their employment more difficult and less productive, particularly in

high-volume settings such as emergency departments. Some employees may feel that BCMA

limits their professional independence and judgment by using an automatic process to check and

validate drugs. This idea of less power could lead to opposition, especially among experienced

employees who are used to doing things the way they're usually done. Because of this, it is

important to include employees in the decision-making process from the start so they can share

concerns and help make implementation plans. Present BCMA as a tool to improve their skills,

not one that replaces them. By understanding and addressing these human aspects, healthcare

executives can make people feel better about BCMA, which will reduce resistance and make the

implementation process go more smoothly and effectively (Horak, 2021).

Grailey, K., Hussain, R., Wylleman, E. (2023). Understanding the facilitators and barriers to

barcode medication administration by nursing staff using behavioral science frameworks. A

mixed methods study. BMC, 22, 378. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01382

Helmons, P.J., Wargel, L.N., & Daniels, C.E. (2019). Effect of barcode-assisted medication

administration on medication administration errors and accuracy in multiple patient care areas.

American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 72 (6), 511-517

Horak, B.J. (2021). Dealing with human factors and managing change in knowledge

management: a phased approach. Top Health Inf Manage, 21(3):8-17. PMID:11234733.

Mulac, A., Mathiesen, L., Taxis, K., Gerd, A. (2021). Barcode medication administration

technology used in hospital practice: a mixed-methods observational study of policy deviations.

BMJ Qual Saf, 30(12):1021-1030. doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2021-013223