Nurses use new system to cut medication errors

MASSENA — Nurses at Massena Memorial Hospital are now making their rounds with new machines designed to prevent medication errors and improve patient safety.

Earlier this year, the hospital received a $141,000 grant from the state Department of Health to purchase and implement a Bedside Medication Verification system.

First appearing in hospital halls this spring, the new machines use a bar-code system to prevent potential medication mistakes for MMH patients in the medical, surgical, pediatric, telemetry and intensive care units.

Before administering medication, nursing staff use the machines to scan a bar code on the patient's hospital bracelet and access that patient's electronic medical record, which includes information on allergies, recent test results, vital signs, medical history and other pertinent information.

Marilyn Carr, a registered nurse and clinical coordinator in MMH's Information Technology Department, said the system helps hospital staff check for five key pieces of information — that they have the correct patient, correct medication, correct dosage, correct method of administering the medication (orally, by injection, etc.) and the correct time between doses.

The new technology will give MMH staff a way to double-check medication and dosage before it is administered and to immediately access vital information about patient allergies or conditions a sick person may not be able to communicate to health-care providers when they are in the hospital.

"It has a lot of important safety features and helps us reduce preventable medication errors and increase communication between doctors, nurses and staff in departments like radiology or the laboratory," Ms. Carr said.