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In recognition of its landmark electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR) and significant contributions to patient safety, Brigham and Women’s Hospital was named one of two recipients of the 2007 Bedside Point of Care Way Pavers Award. This award, established in 2006 by TerraPharma Project, honors individuals and institutions that help “pave the way” towards bar code point of care in America’s hospitals.
“It is quite an honor for BWH to be recognized, and there are so many at BWH who share in this award, including the medical staff, Nursing and Patient Care Services, Pharmacy and our IS team,” said William W. Churchill MS, RPh, executive director of Pharmacy Services.
BWH established itself as a national leader in patient safety by becoming one of the first hospitals in the country to implement both pharmacy bar coding and scanning of all medications in 2003 and eMAR in 2005. As a result, targeted pharmacy dispensing errors have been reduced by 85 percent and potential adverse events by approximately 63 percent. These statistics are significant as BWH clinicians administer a dose of medication every five seconds, or about 6.2 million doses per year.
“This award is a credit to physicians, nurses, pharmacists and staff whose cooperation and dedication to patient safety has made eMAR and bar coding possible,” said Andy Whittemore, MD, BWH’s chief medical officer. “It is a testament to our team approach and commitment to patients.”
TerraPharma Project is an effort spearheaded by leaders from pharmacy and health care. BWH received the award May 10 at the TerraPharma Project’s second Un-Summit meeting on bar coding point of care in San Diego.