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Right Prescription, Right Patient: Halifax Health Makes Medication Delivery Safer

Preventing medication errors is a top priority when it comes to caring for our patients. That’s why Halifax Health — Medical Center of Port Orange recently added a new system that makes our delivery of medicines even safer.

“Our Bedside Medication Verification process is another example of the importance that Halifax Health places on patient safety and quality of care,” said Lori Myers, Chief Nursing Officer at Halifax Health. “We continue to lead the way in bringing the latest clinical advancements to our community, and I look forward to further implementing this vital safety process throughout our system.”

The Bedside Medication Verification (BMV) system uses three important safety checks to make sure inpatients receive the correct medicines:

1. A hospital caregiver scans the patient’s ID bracelet along with any medication. Bedside computers verify that the ID bracelet information matches the medicines the doctor has ordered for that patient.
2. The caregiver tells the patient about any new medications, explains what side effects to watch for and answers any questions.
3. If the medicine is verified by the computer, the caregiver is then free to dispense it to the patient

. These steps make sure the medication is going to the intended patient, which helps prevent errors and save lives.

Halifax Health — Medical Center of Port Orange is the first facility in East Central Florida to use this program. Less than 20 percent of all facilities nationwide are using BMV.