What happens if the scanned medication does not match the patient profile?

• A. The nurse proceeds with administration and updates the MAR
• B. The nurse receives an alert and cannot proceed until the correct medication is scanned
• C. The pharmacist is contacted after administration
• D. The patient decides whether to proceed

Answer: (B)

Barcode verification is a safety mechanism in medication administration. It links the medication’s barcode to the patient’s profile in the electronic record, so the system can confirm that the right drug is being given to the right person. When the scanned medication does not match the patient profile, an alert is triggered and administration is blocked until the discrepancy is resolved. This ensures the five rights are upheld and prevents errors such as giving the wrong medication to the wrong patient.

In this scenario, the correct action is for the system to halt the process and require resolution before continuing. The nurse must verify the order, re-check the patient’s identity and the medication, and re-scan appropriately (often involving cross-checks with the MAR and potentially the pharmacist if needed). This safety step is preferred over proceeding with administration, contacting the pharmacist after the fact, or leaving the decision to the patient, because it protects the patient from harm and maintains accurate documentation.