Surgical Information Systems outlined "five rights" of medication administration for clinical teams and anesthesia providers to improve medication and surgery safety in the OR.
Here are the insights they shared:
1. Right patient - Conforming the right medication is being administered to the right patient and accurately identifying the surgical site and planned procedure through the "time out" protocol is an early step in the OR.
2. Right drug - For anesthesia providers, administering the correct drug and preventing syringe swapping is the "right" with the biggest implications. Using a barcode system is one way to prevent mix ups.
3. Right dosage - Electronic anesthesia documentation systems can help providers give the correct dose to a patient based on weight and can also summarize the total amount of medication delivered during the patient's episode of care.
4. Right route - Anesthesia documentation systems that are integrated with pharmaceutical management systems can also ensure drugs are delivered in the correct route.
5. Right time - Redosing medications can be trickier than knowing the correct time for the initial dose. Barcode systems can also help accurately document when medications were administered.