Comparison of barcode scanning by pharmacy technicians and pharmacists' visual checks for final product verification

The results of an evaluation of barcode verification by pharmacy technicians as an alternative to visual checking by pharmacists in the final stage of the dispensing process are reported.

A two-phase study was conducted to compare error rates with pharmacist visual checks versus technician-operated barcode scanning for final verification of prepackaged unit dose medications dispensed from a satellite pharmacy of a large hospital. In phase 1 of the research, potential errors detected by technician barcode scanning after pharmacist visual checking and approval to dispense were measured over two weeks; in phase 2, dispensing errors not detected through technician scanning that were subsequently detected by pharmacist visual check were measured over three weeks. A time study was conducted to assess the amount of pharmacist time required for visual checks.

A total of 2015 medication doses dispensed during the study period were included in the analysis. Technician barcode scanning was found to be superior to visual checking by a pharmacist in detecting dispensing errors. The calculated time for a pharmacist to check unit doses averaged 5.93 seconds per check. The additional technician time required for barcode scanning versus pharmacist verification was not measured directly, but subjective analysis indicated that the increase in technician time was comparable to the corresponding decrease in pharmacist time.

The use of pharmacy technician barcode checking is a safe alternative to a pharmacist's visual check and, in appropriate cases, can allow reallocation of pharmacist time to clinically oriented patient care services.