Medication safety issue brief. Using automation to reduce errors. Part 2.

Abstract

The medication-use system in hospitals is inherently complex. There can be more than 100 steps from the time a prescription is written to the time a patient receives the medication. Technology has the potential to reduce medication errors by reducing complexity, avoiding over-reliance on memory, simplifying key processes, and, if designed and implemented properly, increasing efficiency. It can also be a cost-effective tool for improving quality. This briefing examines issues in selection and implementation automation.