On September 15, 2011, Codonics Safe Label System SLS 500i was honored and recognized by SmartBusiness Innovation in Business as a Visionary. The Visionary award honors leaders and organizations that have demonstrated a history of innovative ideas throughout their careers or business lifespans, or have developed cutting-edge processes or products.
Codonics Inc. is combating drug labeling errors in the medical field with the Safe Label System. This technology increases syringe labeling compliance and improves patient safety in operating rooms and other areas where syringes are prepared.
President and CEO Peter Botten and his staff collaborated with doctors and medical professionals from Massachusetts General Hospital to create the safety promoting system. Introducing barcode technology, the Safe Label System enables hospitals to more easily comply with industry regulations. Users simply scan a drug vial with the built-in barcode reader and the system checks the hospital’s formulary to ensure the drug is allowed to be used, then provides visual and audible confirmation of the drug name and concentration, allowing for real-time safety checks. A full-color label is automatically printed while the syringe is prepared and accurate electronic documentation recorded.
When the Safe Label System is integrated with an anesthesia information management system and electronic health record, the system’s data can tie directly to the electronic patient record and includes additional safety features such as automatic identification of the medication and concentration of each syringe as well as warnings for expirations, patient allergies and adverse drug interactions.
Studies by Massachusetts General Hospital investigators showed that Codonics’ technology not only provides full compliance with regulations set by both the joint commission and the American Society of Anesthesiologists but improves the efficiency of the clinicians who use the system device. Of the 1,090 syringes evaluated in the baseline study, 593, or 54.4 percent, of them were prepared by clinicians. Only 269 of those met the standards for proper labeling. In another study conducted on 340 labels after the system was implemented, 100 percent of those prepared by clinicians were fully compliant with requirements.
Codonics’ innovative approach to patient safety and efficient hospital operations has made the labeling of medications both fast and accurate.