Safe Label System (SLS)
Medication Labeling Solution
Medication safety starts with the label
Overview
Codonics SLS is the global leader in syringe labeling safety. Trusted by over 1,000 hospitals worldwide, SLS eliminates the risk of handwriting errors, improves compliance with Joint Commission and ISMP Guidelines, and integrates seamlessly into existing anesthesia workflows.
Safe Label System creates a consistent, standardized workflow and uses barcode technology and electronics safety checks that act as a ‘second set of eyes’ to help reduce the three most common errors in the operating room, including:
- Vial and ampoule swaps
- Mislabeling and illegible labeling
- Syringe swaps
Why It Matters
With SLS, hospitals can improve patient safety, streamline operations, and ensure regulatory compliance, all while reducing costly medication errors.
Request A Demo
Discover how SLS can elevate your OR’s safety and compliance.
What is the
Safe Label System?
Codonics Safe Label System® (SLS) is a proven medication safety solution that helps prevent errors in the operating room and procedural areas. Used in thousands of ORs worldwide, SLS provides visual and audible verification of medications and prints full-color, TJC compliant syringe labels. It is a key component in supporting ISMP 2025 Guidelines and reducing manual errors at preparation and administration.
How it works
During Preparation
The clinician scans the vial or ampoule. SLS reads the barcode, confirms the medication audibly and visually, then prints a TJC-compliant label that includes the drug name, concentration, diluent and dilution (if applicable), expiration date and time, preparation date and time, preparer’s initials, applicable drug warnings, and a machine-readable barcode.
During Administration
The syringe label is scanned with SLS-WAVE™ just prior to administration. This hands-free scanner documents the drug into the anesthesia information management system (AIMS)/electronic health record (EHR), ensuring accuracy and eliminating manual entry.
Anesthesia Cart Integration
SLS integrates seamlessly with anesthesia drug carts from BD Pyxis™, Omnicell AWS™, Intelliguard, Stockart, APD, and others. Whether your cart is automated or manual, SLS enhances safety and inventory control at the point of care.
Current Models
- SLS 550i: Reliable, cost-effective labeling solution that provides visual and audible verification with full-color TJC-compliant syringe labels.
- SLS 600i: An advanced model that builds on the 550i’s capabilities and is pre-wired for future RFID read/write integration, helping future-proof your investment.
ISMP 2025 Compliance
SLS aligns with the ISMP Guidelines for safe medication practices in perioperative settings.
It supports redundancies at preparation (Guidelines 4.3, 4.4, 4.5) and real-time documentation at administration (10.11, 10.12).
Is your perioperative / post-operative area
READY FOR 2025?
The ISMP Guidelines mandate the following safety measures be implemented by 2025 in perioperative and procedural areas:
- Eliminate the use of handwritten labels in perioperative/procedural areas by 2025
- Include a machine-readable code (e.g., barcode/RFID) on all syringe and infusion labels, including those that are practitioner-prepared, by 2025
Key Benefits
- Full-color, TJC-compliant syringe labels printed in seconds
- Visual and audible safety checks prevent labeling errors
- Hands-free documentation into Epic. or Cerner. through barcode scanning of the
syringe label at administration - Improves charge capture, 340B compliance, and traceability
- Pre-wired for future RFID functionality (SLS 600i)
Return On Investment (ROI)
The Safe Label System (SLS) doesn’t just enhance safety and compliance—it also delivers real financial benefits. For example, a children’s hospital saved $380,000 annually, and a 340B hospital with 70 ORs realized a $228,000 annual savings. Beyond direct savings, SLS also:
- Reduces medication errors and costly adverse events, protecting patients and minimizing avoidable expenses
- Streamlines anesthesia workflows, saving valuable time per procedure and improving operational efficiency
- Improves documentation accuracy and billing integrity, supporting better charge capture and financial transparency
Why It Matters
Hospitals adopting SLS can significantly reduce operational costs, enhance patient safety, and improve billing accuracy
— key priorities for any healthcare facility aiming for long-term success and compliance.
What Clinicians Are Saying
This system acts as a second set of eyes, catching errors before they reach the patient.
— UVA Health
SLS completely transformed our OR labeling process — now it’s faster, safer, and compliant.
— Texas Children’s Hospital
Frequently Asked Questions in Anesthesia
How can I reduce medication errors in the operating room?
Medication errors in the OR are a major concern—1 in every 133 anesthetic administrations results in an error (Webster et al., 2001). The Codonics Safe Label System (SLS) provides visual and audible confirmations of the medication name and concentration at the point of preparation. This helps reduce vial/ampoule selection errors (e.g., look-alike/sound-alike drugs). SLS enhances safety with easy-to-read, full-color TJC-compliant syringe labels and safety prompts that act as a second set of eyes. It supports ISMP 2025 Guidelines, making it a vital tool for perioperative medication safety.
What are the key benefits of integrating SLS with anesthesia drug carts and EHR systems?
At preparation: SLS integrates with anesthesia drug carts to streamline workflow. A single login at the cart automatically logs the provider into SLS. As a drug is removed, it’s scanned on SLS, which simultaneously prints a syringe label and decrements the cart inventory—helping to eliminate handwritten labels and stock outs.
At administration: SLS syringe labels are scanned using SLS-WAVE to enable ‘hands-free’ documentation in AIMS/EHR systems like Epic and Cerner. Integration with smart pumps allows the pump to be programmed in just four steps with automatic documentation for any change made at the pump into Epic.
This integration reduces manual tasks, minimizes errors, improves charge capture, and supports compliance.
Automated cart integration:
BD Pyxis | Omnicell AWS | Intelliguard Mira Care| Stockart (WIP) | JVM | Nubomed
Manual cart integration:
Armstrong
AIMS/EHR integration:
Epic | Cerner
How does SLS help my anesthesia department comply with ISMP Guidelines?
SLS addresses several ISMP Guidelines for Safe Medication Use in Perioperative Settings. The guidelines address national gaps in perioperative and procedural medication safety, and provide a steppingstone for implementation of organization-specific action plans to reduce harmful patient events.
- 3: Eliminate handwritten syringe labels by 2025: SLS prints full-color, TJC-compliant labels on demand.
- 4: Include machine-readable barcodes by 2025: SLS labels contain barcodes with medication, concentration, expiration info.
- 5: Meet TJC label requirements: SLS includes all required data, including warnings and preparer initials.
- 6: Integrate with smart infusion pumps: SLS supports bidirectional pump/EHR interoperability.
- 11 & 10.12: Use machine-readable coding to confirm meds before administration: SLS produced labels enable barcode scanning of the prepared syringe at the point of care. Download the brochure
Can SLS integrate with my hospital’s existing AIMS and EHR systems?
Yes. SLS integrates with leading AIMS and EHR platforms like Epic and Cerner, or any that support barcode scanning (NDC or Container ID). Syringe label barcodes are scanned directly into the patient record, enabling hands-free documentation of the medication, parenteral concentration, and time. This enhances accuracy, supports compliance, and improves charge capture.
Request a demo
What impact will SLS have on the efficiency of our anesthesia department?
SLS improves anesthesia workflow efficiency by up to 30% (Frost & Sullivan Independent Study 2014), eliminating manual labeling and enabling faster, safer medication preparation. By reducing interruptions and integrating with AIMS and drug carts, SLS frees up clinicians to focus on patient care while improving documentation.
How does SLS improve medication documentation and charge capture?
SLS automates medication capture at administration, reducing missed or inaccurate documentation. Real-time data is entered directly into the EHR, ensuring proper billing and improved 340B compliance. This streamlines audit trails and increases revenue integrity.
Does SLS integrate with Interoperable Smart Infusion Pumps in the OR?
Yes. SLS integrates with Epic and interoperable pumps like BD Alaris, ICU Medical and others. With SLS-WAVE, clinicians scan barcoded syringes and pumps to launch Epic pump screens and automate documentation. Once the infusion begins, pump changes are automatically recorded in the AIMS/EHR—no manual clicks required.
Request a demo
In just four steps:
- Scan the syringe
- Scan the pump
- Enter the order in Epic (rate | dose | duration)
- Confirm the order and start the pump
What are the cost-saving benefits of implementing SLS in my anesthesia department?
SLS cost-saving benefits include:
- Reduces costly errors
- Improves charge capture
- Supports accurate inventory
- Enables 340B accountability
Want to learn more about how SLS had a role in helping to save a Children’s hospital $380,000 a year? Or how a 340B hospital with 70 ORs using Epic integrated with SLS-WAVE saved $228,000 annually?
Learn more in our Savings & ROI brochure
Can SLS be upgraded to include RFID technology?
Yes. The SLS 600i is pre-wired for RFID making it easily upgradeable to support RFID read/write functionality, ‘future-proofing’ your operating rooms for RFID technology. SLS 600i reads barcodes including GS1 DataMatrix and can provide data such as expiration dates, lot numbers, and NDCs to Epic, Cerner, and other AIMS/EHR systems enabling track and trace from manufacturer to patient.
Learn more
How does SLS improve patient safety in the operating room?
SLS enhances safety by:
- Visual and audible confirmations of the drug in hand at preparation
- Easy-to-read, full-color TJC complaint label output on demand
- Uses NDC data from the parenteral vial as the source of truth
- When integrated with an automated anesthesia cart, it helps to reduce stock outs
- Barcode on the prepared syringe label enables a safety check at administration
- Reduces manual clicks removing the element of human error
SLS creates a consistent and standardized workflow that helps to reduce the 3 most common medication errors in the OR, including: vial/ampoule swaps, mislabeling and syringe swaps. Find out how
How do I request a demo?
It’s easy. Invite your pharmacy and anesthesia teams for a 30-minute live or Zoom demo of the full SLS perioperative integration—anesthesia drug carts, EHR, smart pumps and more. We’ll answer your team’s questions and show you what SLS can do. Request a demo
What is the training process for anesthesia professionals?
Codonics provides comprehensive training for anesthesia professionals during Safe Label System (SLS) implementation. Training is conducted on-site by Codonics personnel or certified representatives and may be coordinated with anesthesia drug cart training sessions. In addition, Codonics offers convenient online training videos for on-demand learning and onboarding. This ensures every user is confident using SLS for safe, compliant medication labeling from day one.
How do you ensure patient confidentiality and security with SLS integration?
SLS does not contain or transmit any patient-identifiable information, regardless of whether it's used stand-alone or integrated with other systems like Epic or Cerner. This design ensures zero risk to patient confidentiality and compliance with HIPAA and other privacy regulations. The system focuses solely on medication safety, accuracy, and workflow efficiency.
What support and customer service does Codonics provide after implementation?
Codonics offers industry-leading support for every customer. Our U.S.-based Technical Support team is available 24/7 to assist with service, troubleshooting, and questions.
- Email: support@codonics.com
- Phone: +1-440-243-1198
- Toll Free: 1-800-444-1198
Anywhere Medications Are Prepared
Product Videos
Safe Label System (SLS) Support and Resources
Patient Safety Products
Designed for Clinicians, Driven by Pharmacy.
Improving healthcare from drug preparation to administration and waste.
