Care providers use barcode technology to streamline medication management

An alternative to paper-based MAR charts

Medication accuracy is an important aspect of a resident’s healthcare that requires careful attention from care providers, as residents often rely on staff to manage their medication. Therefore, ensuring all medication is correct and booked in is essential to prevent medication errors and ensure that residents receive the right medication at the right time.  

In this blog, we'll explore how barcode technology has helped improve medication accuracy and streamline the process of booking in medication in care homes. 

Care homes are often busy places with care staff having a lot of responsibilities to manage on top of their main priority - providing quality care to their residents. Most of the care staff’s tasks require a lot of attention and can sometimes be time-consuming, which could leave them with very little time to spend providing person-centred care to residents. Additionally, care homes are often faced with the issue of being short-staffed, which can put extra pressure on existing staff to manage their workload efficiently. Combined, this can make it very challenging for care providers to provide the best possible care to their residents. 

With the amount of work that goes into managing care home operations and resident care, care providers often look to technology suppliers to help streamline their tasks and reduce unnecessary administrative tasks. One such technology is an electronic medication system, also known as an electronic medication administration record system (eMAR), that helps care providers manage their medication administration in real-time, ensuring that residents receive the right medication at the right time. 

The system provides alerts and notifications for missed doses, expired medications, and potential drug interactions, helping prevent medication errors and ensure resident safety.  

An eMAR system reduces the amount of paperwork, as it is all done digitally in one place, helping with documentation and record-keeping. 

Person Centred Software’s ATLAS eMAR system has unique barcode technology that allows care providers to scan medication and update records quickly in real time. The handheld device used by staff shows the medications that should be administered. All care staff have to do is pick the medication packet and scan the pharmacy label using the barcode reader.  

Furthermore, the ATLAS handheld device also runs automatic safety checks (medication, dose, timing, recipient) and flags any potential issues.   

The barcode technology is simple and very effective, revolutionising how care providers manage their medication processes. It has significantly proven to reduce errors, as well as a reduction in the time it takes to book in medication. According to care providers who have implemented ATLAS eMAR , the benefits have been significant.  

“I was impressed with the compliance checks in ATLAS eMAR; the barcode scanning to ensure that the right medication is administered to the right person at the right time, and the safety and layers of checking surrounding it.” - Joe Holmes, Assistant General Manager, Ash View House. 

“Barcode scanning using ATLAS eMAR is great – it prompts and reduces errors; for example, if there is an item that is scanned, ATLAS eMAR will not allow staff members to issue the wrong drugs and make an error. This meets very important CQC safeguarding and compliance measures.” - Mark Clements, Group Operations Manager, Springdene Care Home. 

To learn more about how Person Centred Software’s ATLAS eMAR system can benefit your medication management in your care home, book a demo with our friendly team today.