RFID Technology Reduces Medication Errors, According to MedCity News

RFID technology (radio frequency identification) can help hospitals and healthcare institutions automate prescription orders, monitor and track medication supplies, and flag expired or recalled drugs. However, according to an official at the University of Maryland Medical Center, it also helps reduce medication errors. According to MedCity News, “The medical center is home to the country’s oldest, longest-running trauma center. Adrienne Shepardson noted that not too long ago, the manual process of checking trays of emergency medications for Code carts, which contain anywhere from 25 to 75 drugs, was fraught with errors. Missing or outdated drugs pushed up the error rate to 1 in 20. But since RFID technology was introduced in 2012, using a Kit Check RFID reader along with RFID tags, it has cut its error rate down to 1 in 4,000. It has a much better grasp of its inventory. It can order drugs well before they expire. The reader is used to identify which medications need to be replenished or replaced. It has cut the amount of time it takes to prepare these trays from 20 minutes to under five.”