TAMC keeping patients safe
with bedside medication verification
PRESQUE ISLE — Patients admitted to The Aroostook Medical Center’s (TAMC) A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital in Presque Isle are being given a special new wristband designed to help eliminate medication and treatment errors. These new wristbands are a key component of the Bedside Medication Verification System (BMVS), an electronic service that provides caregivers a way to confirm patient and medication information.
TAMC’s commitment to quality care and patient safety are the driving force behind this change. BMVS is specifically designed to capture and reduce medication errors, which have been at the center of many major news stories across America. Strategies and systems such as Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) and BMVS are being used to improve patient safety.
Implementation of BMVS is expected to increase the capture of the number of medication errors that do not reach patients, and further reduce those errors that potentially do reach patients. BMVS provides additional safety checks for identification of the patient, medication, dose, location (mouth, IV, etc.), and ensures that patients receive these medications at the right time.
“TAMC is committed to reaching a goal of having zero errors for our patients and their families,” said Dr. Roger Pelli, TAMC chief medical information officer. “Advancements in technology such as this improve patient safety and help ensure that the right patient is getting the right medication at the right time and in the right dosage.”
TAMC is using the same state-of-the-art program that is in use at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. This allows medication and dosage information to be available for any patient transferred to Bangor, adding further levels of improved care, safety and security.
