In an effort to decrease the chance for dosing errors, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center (OLOL), Baton Rouge, La, has implemented auto programming between infusion pumps and a bar-code point-of-care system.

The system, developed through a partnership with Cerner and Hospira Inc, helps minimize manual programming for entering medication orders on the pump at the patient’s bedside.

Bar codes located on the patient wristband, the medication bag, and the infusion pump pull data from the electronic health records (EHR) and help hospital workers confirm that medication is being correctly administered. To date, OLOL has used the integrated system on more than 600 wireless infusion pumps throughout its facility.

The system also enables clinician to respond more quickly to patient changes with access to near real-time medication-administration information, and automates documentation to reduce missed billing opportunities, helping improve hospital revenues.