Alert Types and Frequencies During Bar Code-Assisted Medication Administration: A Systematic Review
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Updated: Dec 21, 2025
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Published on: June 11, 2012
Elizabeth A Sloss1, Terry L Jones
1Department of Professional Nursing Practice, School of Nursing & Health Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia (Ms Sloss); and Department of Adult Health and Nursing Systems, School of Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond (Dr Jones).
Background:
Existing literature explores the effectiveness of bar code-assisted medication administration (BCMA) on the reduction of medication administration error as well as on nurse workarounds during BCMA. However, there is no review that comprehensively explores types and frequencies of alerts generated by nurses during BCMA.
Purpose:
The purpose was to describe alert generation type and frequency during BCMA.
Methods:
A systematic review of the literature using PRISMA guidelines was conducted using CINAHL, PubMed, EMBASE, and Ovid Medline databases.
Results:
After screening for inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 8 articles were identified and included in the review. Alert types included patient mismatch, wrong medication, and wrong dose, though other alert types were also reported. The frequency of alert generation varied across studies, from 0.18% to 42%, and not all alerts were clinically meaningful.
Conclusions:
This systematic review synthesized literature related to alert type and frequency during BCMA. However, further studies are needed to better describe alert generation patterns as well as factors that influence alert generation.
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