Electronic Medication Administration Record

ELECTRONIC MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION RECORD (eMAR)

DEFINITION

Technology that automatically documents the administration of medication into certified EHR (electronic health record) technology using electronic tracking sensors (for example, radio frequency identification (RFID)) or electronically readable tagging such as bar coding).

RATIONALE

In support of medication administraton safety, electronic medication administration records became a mainstay in the inpatient setting.The Emar "uses barcode reading technology to monitor the bedside administration of medications"(2). The bedside nurse needs a safe method to make sure that medications are administered correctly. Use of a paper MAR could be incomplete, misinterpreted, or even lost. A medication administration record system which fully integrates with a computerized physician order entry (CPOE), and pharmacy systems should increase efficiency while providing a fail-safe system.

REFERENCE

www.firstdatabank.com

Doylestown Hospital in Doylestown, Pennsylvania has implemented the Electronic Medication administration Record (eMAR), which is a full integrated system that bring together bluetooth wireless and hand-held scanners to read the bar codes of drugs. This systems tracks the patients drug dosage from the pharmacy to the nursing station and finally to the patient bedside. All patients are given a bar coded wrist band that is used for identification. The nurse scans the wrist band before the medication is given. When the nurse scans the wristband and medication the eMAR will alert the nurse if any allergy or incompatibility.

The Medication Administration Process:

. Physician writes the order then is sent the pharmacy . Pharmacist enters information into Meditech . Pharmacy bar code medication and is given to patients floor . Nurse review patients medication list . eMAR alerts nurses on next dosage and complication

www.dh.org www.bradyid.com