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Electronic medication administration records (eMar) enlist bar coding technology to submit and fill prescriptions with hand-held scanners that read bar codes and transmsit them to the terminal/workstation using Bluetooth wireless technology.The eMAR relays drug dosage data to the pharmacy, which is then connected to nursing stations.
The following prescription data is included in eMars:
Medication dosages, number of refills
Medication types
Medication classifications
Patient refill history
Real-time prescription status tracking capabilities
Techopedia Explains Electronic Medication Administration Records
eMar speeds up the prescribing process for patients and physicians. It also complies with federal regulations developed as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.
U.S. laws mandate that all health care facilities and doctors’ offices move from paper medical records to electronic medical records (EMR). By doing so, federal, state, local and private agencies can qualify for and receive incentive payments over a period of time as outlined in the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act.
eMar is just one of the many useful software tools that can help to reduce prescription errors. The bar coding technology used is similar to that seen in supermarkets. Electronic prescription forms such as eMar can save lives and improve quality care for countless patients. They also require less manual data-entry and eliminate the need for paper prescriptions, thus reducing costs.
Quality assurance flags and audit tracking tools are in place in eMars so that electronic prescription security is always attained and physician and pharmacy error rates are kept to a minimum. Efficient operating systems and simplified eMar provide vast digital prescription information, including medication history and refill history.
