06.2.2025 PCS
ATLAS eMAR is designed to make the medication administration process easy and safe, and this is how
With the advent of digital technologies such as electronic MAR systems, there have been great improvements in and streamlining of the medication administration process. It’s important, however, for anybody working in care homes who administers medication to understand how to make the best use out of eMAR systems, how to log medications correctly, and to understand how safety is ensured at every point in the medication administration process.
Understanding these steps will help care homes remain compliant with the latest regulatory standards, and it will also ensure overall safety and wellbeing of residents. So, let’s look at how ATLAS eMAR ensures safety at every point of the medication administration process.
All resident medication data at your fingertips
To begin a medication round, log in to ATLAS eMAR’s handheld device using your unique PIN, ensuring only the assigned person can access and conduct the round. After logging in, the home screen shows only residents due for medication, ensuring quick access and reducing the risk of errors. Below this, there are five icons: due now, attempted, due later, away and missing.
This colour-coded system means that you can see at a glance who needs what medication at what time.
Ease of use for actioning medication administration
Of the icons mentioned above, the two that need to be actioned on a medication round are the ‘due now’ icon and ‘attempted’ icon.
When you select ‘due now’, you will be taken through to the list of medications that the residents require during that specific round, so there is no need to sift through paperwork to try and match up residents and medications – it's all there for you in a simple and easy-to-understand format.
Just scan the resident’s name label, and their details will appear. Once their record opens, there will be a red banner with the word ‘medication’, coupled with the time due at the top of the screen. This is another simple step to ensure there is no room for medication errors.
Then, using ATLAS eMAR’s barcode scanning technology, you can scan the first box of medication once you are able to see the resident’s list of medication. From there, you have a completely clear direction on which medication needs to be given to which resident, leaving virtually no room for error.
By clicking the ‘add to pot’ icon, ATLAS eMAR will ask you to confirm the number of tablets to be given. Before doing this, it will also be told of the name of the medication, the strength, the amount to be taken and how often, so you can be sure that in this step also, there is no room for error, and complete resident safety is virtually guaranteed. To ensure complete oversight, you will also be given information on when the medication was last given, and when it’s due next.
In addition to this, once the medication has been confirmed and administered, you will also be shown how many tablets are currently left in stock, and how many days of stock you have. This is a crucial feature that means you will be given plenty of notice when stocks are running low, meaning that you should never find yourself without essential medications.
End-to-end safeguarding for medications
From start to finish, ATLAS eMAR’s hand-held device has been designed specifically to ensure that safety and efficiency remain the top priorities for the medication administration process. Every avenue for potential errors has been removed, and those responsible for medication administration can be confident that they are conducting medication rounds safely and effectively.
