Practical Strategies for Implementing Bar Code Technology in the Institutional Setting

December 7th • 11:15 am – 12:15 pm • Room 314A

Bill Churchill, M.S., R.Ph.

Director of Pharmacy Services

Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts

Program Description

In 1999, the IOM report, “To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System” highlighted bar coding as a technology that could help prevent medication errors. Numerous reports have demonstrated that medication errors have been reduced by 85 percent with the use of bar code technology in hospitals. To support the use of this technology the FDA in February 2004 issued the bar code rule mandating the pharmaceutical industry use bar code labeling on human drug and biological products.

This session will discuss the FDA ruling on mandatory bar coding on unit-of use products and the impact on bar code implementation. Practical strategies for implementing bar code technology

will be presented including information needed to convince administration to invest in the technology, choosing a bar code vendor, and implementation and training processes.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:

• Discuss various factors to consider prior to implementing bar code scanning technology.

• Describe the risks and benefits related to the selection of bar code formats and bar code readers.

• Explain various obstacles that must be overcome to insure successful implementation of bar code scanning technology.

Program number: 204-000-04-433-L04

(1.0 hour continuing education credit)

How to register