Understanding Medication Administration Record (MAR) Importance in Healthcare

The task of keeping accurate records in a treatment facility or hospital is a responsibility that falls on the entire care team. The ability to coordinate and track medication administration is a large part of providing quality care. As patient loads increase and new therapies become available, there is a growing need for robust tools such as electronic records to help healthcare providers accurately track medication usage. The Medication Administration Record (MAR) is an indispensable tool for doing just that.

What Is a Medication Administration Record?

The MAR is a medical record used to reference medication treatment protocols and compile reports on the medications used by patients during their treatment at a medical facility. It is an integral part of each patient's health record. It tracks information such as the types of medications used, the dosages of each drug, the frequencies of administration, missed doses of medications, and which provider administered the medicines. 

A MAR provides a continuum of information that is especially important in settings with regular shift changes, such as hospitals or inpatient treatment centers. The ability to easily reference medication information helps improve treatment accuracy and also increases overall care team productivity. 

Care teams keep MARs manually in a paper hardcopy record or digitally (often referred to as an eMAR). TempDev's eMAR enables providers to seamlessly integrate medication information into a patient's NextGen EHR (Electronic Health Record), facilitating cross-referencing and quick access to previous medication administrations.

What Types of Information Can We Find in the MAR?

The information included in a MAR may vary depending on the function of the treatment facility or hospital and state requirements, but most MARs include the following:

Patient Data

• The name of the patient

• Age and/or date of birth of the patient

• Miscellaneous information, such as diagnosis, weight, height, and dietary requirements

• The names and designations of the patient's treatment team

• Allergies or sensitivities

Medication Information

• Name(s) of medications and the provider who prescribed them

• Indications for medication use

• Instructions for giving the medication

• Date and time of medication administration

• The dosage given

• Frequency of administration

• Route of administration (i.e., oral, injectable, patch application, etc.)

• Missed doses and reasons regarding non-administered doses

• Reason for the medication dose given if PRN (as needed)

• Any pertinent notes, such as reporting on the result of the PRN (did the medication achieve the desired results?)

• Signature of administering provider

Unlike off-the-shelf electronic medical records systems, TempDev's customizable products enable facilities and hospitals of all types to include the information they need in their MAR while excluding the fields they don't. This not only saves time and money but also provides a cleaner, more accurate patient record. 

Why Is the Medical Administration Record Important?

A MAR is a vital part of any patient's record for several reasons. First and foremost, the MAR helps prevent the over-medicating or under-medicating of a patient during treatment. Providers can quickly review all medications previously recorded in the MAR and view notes of any adverse reactions that may have occurred, reducing the likelihood of potentially harmful drug interactions.

Medical team members complete a Medication Administration Record (MAR) each time a patient takes or misses a dose of medication (oral, injectable, transdermal, etc.). This ensures proper administration coordination.  When multiple providers are caring for an individual, a MAR's centralized reporting system allows practitioners to track the history of medication use and make informed decisions for ongoing treatment. 

What Are the Advantages of an eMAR Over a Paper Medication Administration Record?

Many facilities and hospitals still use paper-based medication administration records (MARs) to maintain accurate records of medications. While it is a legal and simple way to track medication administration, paper MARs have their drawbacks.

The most commonly mentioned issue with the paper-based MAR is illegible handwriting. Providers can misread and mistakenly administer medications with similar spellings, such as dextromethorphan and dexamethasone. Care team members can also easily misread numbers like 3 and 8, which look very similar. 

When an electronic MAR is used, the likelihood of misinterpretation goes down significantly. The ability for providers to easily read the text, numbers, and input information helps prevent potentially life-threatening errors. Some eMARs are integrated with a barcode scanning system within the EHR, allowing the care team to scan a medication before it is given, capturing vital information such as the time, the medication name, and the lot number. It can even flag if the medication scanned is the wrong one for the corresponding patient. 

Another problem with paper-based MARs is the higher likelihood that they may get lost or destroyed. Treatment settings, although typically neat and orderly, can spell doom for a handwritten document. An accidental spill or a dropped patient file could render a paper-based medication administration record (MAR) useless or cause it to be lost. 

TempDev's eMAR can help streamline treatment, track trends, and manage inventory while safely storing vital patient information — all without lifting a pen. 

How Can We Use eMARs to Generate Reports?

Another advantage of the eMAR is having a patient's medication history readily available in one place. eMARs are frequently used to compile reports for various purposes. One of the most commonly generated reports is the eMAR Summary. An eMAR Summary chronologically lists all medications used for a patient over a specified period. This feature is beneficial in determining ongoing treatment for an individual with comorbidities that require multiple medications. 

If the eMAR Summary doesn't provide enough information, additional parameters can be added to generate a report that includes items such as drug categories, medication usage, and dosing protocols. 

If the eMAR is part of an electronic health record, such as TempDev's NextGen Electronic Health Record, isolating and compiling this information is a straightforward process. 

The TempDev Advantage

If your practice or facility is seeking a solution to transition to a digital record-keeping format easily or you're looking to replace your EHR, TempDev's team of experienced programmers, trainers, and consultants can assist. Our NextGen EHR technology is continually advancing, providing you with ongoing support and tools to deliver the care your patients deserve. Contact us here or by calling 888.TEMP.DEV.