About closed loop medication administration
Closed loop medication administration changes the way we provide patient care by reducing the chances for human error, and providing safety, consistency and efficiency.
It’s a fully electronic medication management process that documents and tracks all relevant information between the medical orders and the administration to the patient.
Since 2015, Island Health has implemented closed loop medication administration as part of IHealth’s advanced EHR systems. It is currently active in the following locations:
- Nanaimo Regional General Hospital
- Oceanside Health Clinic
- Dufferin Place Long Term Care
- The Summit at Quadra Village Long Term Care
- Port Alice Health Clinic
Benefits of closed loop medication administration
The closed loop medication administration process transforms patient care from a paper-based manual process into one where the information moves electronically, with robust quality checking at every step.
Health care providers have immediate access to the patient’s electronic health record. With this record, they can see the patient’s current list of medications and choose treatment that will prevent contraindications.
As an additional step in ensuring patient safety, pharmacists can review the medical orders and flag any potential hazards.
At the pharmacy level, the medication is dispensed with bar code identifications for the specific medicine at the correct dose and the patient it is meant for.
When a nursing unit receives the medication, nurses use a bar code scanner to confirm both the medicine and the patient, ensuring that everything is correct before administering the medication.
