The new high-risk medication traceability system at La Plana Hospital in Vila-real ensures treatment monitoring from medical prescription to patient administration in the Day Hospital. The technology integrates unique identification codes, smart pumps, and validation via individualized wristbands to confirm the match between medication and patient, thereby reducing the risk of errors.
This digital circuit generates an automated record of each step, documenting the medication's journey for subsequent reviews. The system digitally links medical prescription, pharmaceutical preparation, and medication administration, maintaining traceability from Hospital Pharmacy to its arrival at the Day Hospital.
At the time of administration, the patient's wristband verifies that the treatment matches the prescription. Smart pumps add an extra layer of control and integrate relevant treatment information. The goal is to prevent identification errors and have verifiable information about the procedure's various stages.
The implementation was a collaboration between the Hospital Pharmacy Service and the Nursing team of the Day Hospital. Professionals and patients have positively rated the system for the perceived increase in safety, although quantitative data on error reduction or investment made has not yet been provided.
Traceability is crucial for high-risk medications, where an error can have severe consequences. The digitalization of the circuit allows for multiple checkpoints and the retention of a detailed record. With this advancement, La Plana Hospital is embracing the digitalization of the pharmacotherapeutic circuit and strengthening the correct identification of treatments and patients.
