ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in hospital settings: dispensing and administration—2011.
Hospitals' use of electronic medical records and computerized provider order entry (CPOE) continues to increase relatively slowly. However, this annual survey of more than 1400 hospitals by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists found that uptake of medication safety technology has quickened. Half of responding hospitals reported using barcode medication administration, and more than two-thirds use electronic medication administration records and smart infusion pumps. In contrast, a much smaller proportion of hospitals reported using CPOE. These findings indicate that hospitals overall are incorporating new technologies proven to reduce the risk of medication errors.