December 8, 2009 (FinancialWire) — Lancaster General Health in Lancaster, Pa., released data quantifying the benefits of auto programming and interoperability of infusion pumps, bar-code medication administration and electronic health record systems.

In partnership with Hospira, Inc., (NYSE: HSP) and Cerner (NASDAQ: CERN), Lancaster implemented a fully auto-programmed smart infusion system at the patient bedside. With 56 percent of medication errors in healthcare due to improperly intravenously administered medications and, of those errors, 61 percent leading to serious or life-threatening consequences, the use of auto-programmed smart infusion pumps has been viewed as a tool that could help reduce numerous medication administration errors and improve patient safety(1),(2),(3). In recognition of Lancaster’s success with auto programming, the hospital received the Best Practices Award In Health-System Pharmacy yesterday at the 2009 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition.

Lancaster said device interoperability has shown advantages over the independent technologies.

This type of device interoperability integrates the EHR, BCMA and smart infusion pumps into a bar-code driven workflow that automatically populates pharmacist-validated, provider-ordered infusion parameters on the infusion pump. This integrated data flow is bi-directional, which allows infusion-specific data from the pump to be automatically charted in the electronic medication administration record within the patient EHR.

Using individual barcodes on the patients’ hospital I.D. wristbands, I.V. bag and infusion pump, the auto programming process pulls information from the EHR allowing the nurse to confirm that the right drug and right dose is being administered to the right patient, at the right time and by the right route — often referred to as the five rights of medication administration. Auto programming extends the verification process to ensure the infusion pump is programmed as ordered by the provider with additional pharmacist oversight.

This fully-integrated, seamless system was developed and implemented by Cerner and Hospira. The Hospira Plum A+ infusion pump with Hospira MedNet safety software is connected to the Cerner Bridge Medication Administration solution, which enables five-rights checking through a series of barcodes.

The Hospira Plum A+ infusion pump with Hospira MedNet safety software and Cerner Bridge Medication Administration solution will be demonstrated at the ASHP MidYear Meeting and Exhibition through Dec. 10 at the Venetian Hotels and Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas. The Hospira booth is number 123 and the Cerner booth is number 2603.

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