John Poikonen RE: Role or Non Role of BCMA in error reduction?

The recent UCSF CalNOC Study versus similar results of an AJHP study on Medication Administration and the role/non role of bar coding is interesting.

As it turns out the CalNOC (the California Nursing Outcomes Coalition http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/102068.php) study methods (http://futurehealth.ucsf.edu/Program/Inlp/Portals/10/INLP%20Clinical%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf) did NOT include bar coding as part of the six best practices for medication administration.

There was similar results in reduction in medication administration errors (54% versus 56%) in the CalNOC and a study that used a multidisciplinary approach that included bar-code medication administration (BCMA) [AJHP 2007;64:536-43 http://www.ajhp.org/cgi/content/full/64/5/536 ].
What was very unclear in the AJHP study is whether the reorganization, eMAR, or BCMA contributed to the decrease in medication errors, as all three where done. The UCSF CalNOC results would point to the process changes.

Installation of BCMA forces a close look and reorganization of the med admin process. Doing that independent of BCMA may have the same results and cost a whole lot less.

My take away from these is that it is the process and not technology that can make the difference in medication administration. Results of some multi center observational studies on BCMA will be coming out in the summer time frame that may change this view.

What say you?

Did anyone participate in this study from a pharmacy point of view, which could give us an additional perspective?

John Poikonen, Pharm.D. | Director of Clinical Informatics | UMass
Memorial Medical Center | poikonej@ummhc.org | 508-421-1486 |
978-501-4887 mobile