The scanning of medications label during your administration round is a key safety feature of Atlas eMAR to ensure that the right medication is given to the right resident at the right time. Medication which is supplied from your dedicated pharmacy should always be provided with a barcoded dispense label which can be scanned using the Atlas device and it is best practice to follow this process where possible. There are however a number of reasons that you may come across as to why a barcode will not scan. Some of the reasons identified are listed below with troubleshooting solutions and best practice advice.
Ensure you have synchronised the Atlas eMAR device before attempting to book in any barcoded medication?
For the information from the pharmacies dispensing system (CAPA) to receive and send new data to your Atlas eMAR device it will require synchronisation. The pharmacy have a booking out process which when completed downloads the medication and the barcode details to your device. This is completed during the synchronising therefore if this process is not followed the item may not be displayed on your booking in screen.
Tip;
It is best practice to synchronise the device before and after every medication round and every time you receive new medication from your pharmacy.
You have received barcoded medication but its not displaying on the residents medication list or the booking in screen?
If you have received barcoded medication from you dedicated pharmacy which is not displayed on the device, please contact your pharmacy directly to discuss this before adding it as a new medication to the residents record via the device. The medication must be added to the residents profile via the pharmacies dispensing system to allow dispensing therefore it may just have an outstanding review awaiting to be completed or it may have a post-date start date. Adding medication to the device as a new record when one has already been created may cause complications.
Not a Atlas eMAR Barcode?
If a medication has been received from another source than your regular Pharmacy, it will not be equipped with the Atlas eMAR - compliant barcodes and will have to be booked in and administered manually.
If the medication has been received from the dedicated Pharmacy, please make sure that the barcode being scanned is on the medication/dispense label; the manufacturers’ barcode will not scan.
Damaged barcodes
If the barcode has been damaged in transit, or whilst in the home (this can be partially rubbed off, water-damaged or peeling) then the barcode may not scan and the medication will have to be booked in and administered manually.
The scanner is not picking up the barcode
It may be that the barcode is too close or too far away from the Atlas device for the scanner to recognise it. Try moving closer and further away from the barcode whilst scanning.
The barcode may have been reprinted
If the label has been reprinted at the Pharmacy during the dispense process, then the original barcode will not longer be valid and it may be that the Pharmacy has accidentally sent the original barcode to the Care Home. Always check that the label number (printed vertically down the left-hand side) on the medication/dispensing label matches the label number on the booking in screen. If it differs contact the pharmacy for further advice.
Scanner not working
Sometimes it is not the barcode that will not scan, it could possibly be an issue with the scanner and this may mean that the device can no longer pick up the barcode when scanned.
Push down the scanning button on the device and see if the red scanning light comes on. If this is weak or not working then contact the help line for more support.
If no items are scanning, not just an individual item, reset the device and then synchronise the device.
If the issue has not been resolved by resetting the device contact the Atlas support desk for further assistance.