Medication errors

Medication errors are one of the primary causes of patient harm in clinical settings. These inaccuracies commonly emerge from transcription, drug administration, and dispensing errors. This literature review analyzed four peer-reviewed articles consisting of primary research on barcode systems’ impact in preventing medication errors. Two of the studies provided statistical data to support their findings; additionally, a quality appraisal report was given in each research. Three themes emerged from the literature review: medication safety, clinical workflow, and the integration of the barcode systems with other health information technology. All four studies demonstrated that barcode systems significantly improve patient safety by preventing medication errors. Inaccuracies during drug administration are prevented by ensuring that the right medicine and dose is being administered to the right patient at the right time and route. Integrating these systems with other technology in healthcare settings will significantly improve patient outcomes. The surveys also implied that these hi-tech devices could improve clinical workflows by reducing the time and workload associated with manual drug administration and recording. Barcode systems should be implemented in clinical settings to better patient safety practices.