Medication errors are among the most challenging and expensive events in healthcare. And unfortunately, they happen more frequently than you’d expect.
Research shows that nearly 20% of medication doses are administered incorrectly in the hospital setting and up to 33% outside it.
In long-term care, these critical errors typically occur during medication administration or medication pass and commonly involve giving incorrect doses, missing doses, and administering wrong medications.
For decades, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been working hard to implement tools and techniques that help reduce medication errors—from standardized labeling and optimized nursing workflow to barcode technology and multi-dose compliance packaging.
Interestingly, the answer to a more efficient med pass could be right at our fingertips: the MyDoses app.
Read More: Multi-Dose Compliance Packaging: What Does It Mean for Care Homes?
What Is a Med Pass?
Medication pass (or med pass) is the systematic and organized process where healthcare providers administer prescribed medications to patients at scheduled times.
It involves healthcare professionals, such as nurses and caregivers, who follow established protocols and safety measures to deliver medications to patients following healthcare provider orders and patient-specific medication regimens.
Designed to ensure the safe and accurate administration of medications to patients, med pass takes into account the five rights:
- Right Patient
- Right Medication
- Right Dose
- Right Route
- Right Time
Med pass is a critical component of patient care, aimed at optimizing therapeutic outcomes while minimizing the risk of medication errors and adverse drug events.
What Is MyDoses? And How Does It Improve Medication Pass?
MyDoses is a medication management application that facilitates medication ordering, tracking, and monitoring for caregivers and patients.
Designed to help improve medication adherence, minimize the risk of medication errors, and enhance patient outcomes, MyDoses addresses many med pass issues in healthcare facilities. Here are key app features that make that happen:
In-App Notifications
MyDoses helps nurses and caregivers ensure they give each dose at the correct time. To reduce the risk of missed doses, users can set up reminders and notifications to alert the provider, caretaker, patient, or patient’s family when it's time for medications to be administered.
Secure Communication
MyDoses can help facilitate communication and collaboration among healthcare team members. Using HIPAA-compliant messaging technology, nurses or caretakers can send chats, messages, and attachments to pharmacists and physicians in real time for medication-related questions or concerns.
Medication Management
MyDoses allows patients to keep a digital record of their medication administration history, making it easier to recall past treatments and share this information with healthcare providers when necessary. They can use the app to organize, manage, order, and refill prescriptions and record self-added medications.
Pharmacy Software Integration
Seamlessly integrated with the robust, all-in-one pharmacy software IPS Elite, MyDoses helps make medication management simple, intuitive, and convenient for patients and pharmacies.
For example, a patient or caretaker can request a prescription refill using the MyDoses app. The app notifies the patient’s provider about the request. When the provider approves it, the IPS-equipped pharmacy can quickly prepare the medication refills and send them to the patient.
Medication Storage Device Integration
MyDoses also works hand in glove with our smart medication storage device, DoseMinder. Beyond basic medication reminders, MyDose and DoseMinder enhance medication adherence, simplify complex medication regimens, secure medication management, and ensure accurate documentation.
The MyDoses–DoseMinder collaboration helps simplify single-patient, assisted, and multiple-patient medication administration:
- Single-Patient Medication Administration (Self-Administration): The patient receives a reminder to take their prescriptions on schedule from the MyDoses app. The DoseMinder device that stores their medications also signals them via visual and audio alerts. When the patient taps the MyDoses notification, the app verifies their identification and unlocks the DoseMinder device. With the prescription details shown on the app and the slots highlighted on the device, patients know exactly which medications to take.
- Assisted and Multiple-Patient Medication Administration: In facilities where the staff help multiple residents with med pass, caretakers can use the MyDoses app to get patient medication reminders. They can scan each patient’s QR code using the app during med pass, allowing them to look up, verify, administer, and document each dose properly and efficiently. The app also sends the caretakers alerts when the wrong DoseMinder slot is opened and when there are pending, missed, changed, or discontinued prescription doses.
Medication Verification
Using the QR code verification feature of MyDoses, patients, providers, and caretakers can scan dose-level medication labels to ensure that the proper medication is administered to the right patient. The verification process also includes checking medication orders against the patient's electronic health record (EHR) for accuracy.
Patient Education
MyDoses holds comprehensive information about a patient’s medications, including appearance, order status, refill status, dosage instructions, potential side effects, and necessary precautions. This helps patients, providers, caregivers, and families understand the medications better.
Med Pass Documentation
MyDoses allows providers and patients to more quickly and accurately document med pass activities, effectively reducing paperwork and administrative burden. It also gives users a digital record of their medication history, making it easier to recall past treatments and share this information with healthcare providers when necessary.
Easy and Efficient Medication Management at Your Fingertips
Medication errors are dangerous, challenging, and costly. The only good thing about them is they’re preventable. And if there’s one thing healthcare facilities and assisted living communities can count on to combat medication errors, it’s technology.
A mobile app can be an excellent tool for improving medication management, enhancing patient adherence, and fostering better communication between patients and healthcare providers. However, not all apps are created equal. Choosing a reputable one is crucial to ensuring patient safety and operational efficiency.
Tried and tested by patients, pharmacists, physicians, and caretakers, MyDoses is a powerful platform proven to automate med pass, simplify medication management, reduce medication errors, and enhance the overall well-being of patients and residents.