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Medications and eMAR

The Electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR) is an important feature for tracking a participant's medications. Our eMAR follows the standard for safe medication practices and minimizes the potential for human error. 

The eMAR aids organizations in documenting when medications are given to participants and staff, and follows the "five rights" of medication administration - right patient, right drug, right dose, right time, and right route. Specifically, it allows you to chart the date and time that medications are administered, track medication quantities, filter for medications, and export eMAR history and medication records.

In this article:

 

 

Chart Medications

You can chart a medication as given, not given, or pending. When you chart the medication as given, the current date and time is displayed by default. If you need to chart medications at a later time than they were given, you can specify the correct day and time. You can also update a medication charted as given as an error. The medication will reappear in the list of medications that need to be administered. 

When you chart a medication, initials will be displayed to indicate the provider that completed the charting. You can click the Menu icon (Hamburger_icon.png) to see the audit trail showing the date and time that a medication was charted and updated. 

To chart a medication in the eMAR:

  1. In the Menu, click eMAR. Medications scheduled to be given on the current date and time of day will appear by default.
  2. To chart a medication that is not scheduled to be given at that time, do one of the following: 
    • To chart a medication scheduled to be administered on a different date and/or time of day, in the Date boxes and Time of Day box, select the correct date and/or time of day.
    • To chart an As Needed medication, on the right-side of the page, check the 'As Needed' box.
    • To update a medication charted earlier in the day, on the right-side of the page, check the Previous Entries box.
  3. Do one of the following, depending on whether you need to chart a medication as given, not given, pending, or error:
    • If you want to chart a medication as given, click the GIVE button. Your initials will appear.

      administer.png

    • If you want to chart a medication as not given, click the Menu icon (Hamburger_icon.png), check the Not Given box, and then, in the required Note box, add a note describing why the medication was not given. 
      Tip: To improve charting consistency, you can click the Note Templates box, and then select the template that you want to be added to the Note box. You can learn more about how to create Note Templates in our General Settings article.
    • If you want to chart a medication as pending, click the Menu icon (Hamburger_icon.png), and then check the Pending box.
    • If you want to update a charted a medication as an error, click the Menu icon (Hamburger_icon.png), and then check the Error box. When the screen is refreshed, the medication will reappear in the list of medications to be administered.
    • When you have added the requisite information, click the Save button.

medicationoptions.png 

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Add, Edit, or Deactivate a Medication

You can add, edit, and deactivate medications for a participant in the participant's profile.

To add, edit, or deactivate a medication for a participant:

  1. Click on the profile of the participant for whom you want to add/edit/deactivate a medication.
  2. In the participant's profile, click the Medications tab.
  3. To add a new medication, click the ADD MEDICATION button, add the necessary  information, and then click the SAVE button.
  4. To edit a medication, click the medication name, click the EDIT MEDICATION button, make the necessary changes, and then click the CONFIRM CHANGES button.
    Important: In order to preserve medication history, you cannot edit a medication with an entry in the eMAR. You must add a new medication with the updated information.
  5. To deactivate a medication, click the medication name, click the DEACTIVATE button, and then, in the window that appears, click the Deactivate button to confirm.

participantmedication.png

To view deactivated medications:

  1. In the participant's profile, click the Medications tab.
  2. In the submenu, click Medications.
  3. Click the SHOW DEACTIVATED button.

show_deactivated_medication.png

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Medication Quantity Tracking

In order to track the amount of medication that you have available for a participant, you must first enable medication tracking in the participant's profile.

Enable Medication Quantity Tracking

To enable Medication Quantity Tracking:

  1. In the participant's profile, click the Medications tab.
  2. On the Medications page, do one of the following, depending on whether you are adding tracking to a new medication or a current one:
    • If you are adding tracking to a new medication, click the ADD MEDICATION button, add the necessary information, in the Tracking Quantity section, click the YES button, and then click the SAVE button.
      Important: In the Tracking Quantity section, you can only click the YES button after you have completed the rest of the required medication information.
    • If you are adding tracking to a current medication, click the medication name, click the EDIT MEDICATION button, in the Tracking Quantity section, click the YES button, and then click the CONFIRM CHANGES button.

Medication_Quantity_Tracking.png

 

Fill and Refill Medications

After adding Medication Quantity Tracking, you can fill and refill a medication.

To fill and refill a medication:

  1. In the participant's profile, click the Medications tab. 
  2. On the Medications page, click the name of the medication that you want to fill or refill.
  3. In the Quantity box of the Track Quantity section, type the amount of medication that you want to add.
    Tip: If you want to decrease the amount of medication inventory, in the Quantity box, type a negative number representing the amount of medication that you want removed.
  4. (Optional) If you received the medication prior to the current date, in the Date boxes, select the correct date.
  5. (Optional) In the Notes box, add any notes about the medication.
  6. Click the FILL button. Each time the medication is administered in the eMAR, it will automatically deduct the administered amount from the medication quantity. 
    Tip: You can also add an alert to let you know when a medication is below a certain number of doses. You can learn more about that in our General Settings article.

Medication_Fill.png

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Missed Medications

Medications that are missing and not recorded are displayed in red at the top of the eMAR. You can view and update the medications or export a Missed Medication report.

To view medication that was missed and download a Missed Medication report:

  1. In the Menu, click eMAR. Medications that are missing are displayed in red at the top of the page.
  2. Do one of the following, depending on whether you want to view and update medication that is missing or export a Missed Medication report:
    • If you want to view and update the medications, click the time of day or date that you want.
    • If you want to export a Missed Medication report, click the Download icon (eMAR_Export_Icon.png) for the date on which you want to report. 

missed.png

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eMAR Filters

You can filter the list of medications in the eMAR by participant name, medication name, date, time of day, groups, and tags. If there is a set of criteria that you use frequently when administering medications, the filter can be saved for you and other providers at your organization.

To filter the list of medications:

  1. In the Menu, click eMAR. Medications scheduled to be given on the current date and time of day will appear by default.
  2. (Optional) If you want to use a saved filter, in the Load Filter box, select the filter that you want.
  3. Do any of the following, depending on the type of criteria that you want to include in your filter:
    • To filter by the name of a participant or the type of medication, in the Search bar, type the name of the participant or the medication. 
    • To filter by the date, in the Date boxes, select the correct date
    • To filter by the time of day, in the Time of Day box, select the time of day.
    • To filter by the group, in the Groups box, select the group(s) that you need.
    • To filter by tags, in the Tags box, select tag(s) that you need.
    • To filter for medications charted earlier in the day, on the right-side of the page, check the Previous Entries box.
    • To filter for As Needed medication, on the right side of the page, check the 'As Needed' box. Check the Only 'As Needed' box if you want to limit the list to As Needed medications. 

      asneeded.png

  4. (Optional) If you plan to use the set of filters you choose frequently, click the SAVE FILTER button, select whether you are saving a new list or overwriting an existing one, check the box if you want to share the list with other providers at your organization, and then click the SAVE button.

emarfilter.png

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Export Individual eMAR History

You can export the eMAR history of a participant in the participant's profile.

To export the eMAR history of a participant:

  1. In the participant's profile, click the Medications tab.
  2. In the submenu, click eMAR.
  3. Click the EXPORT EMAR HISTORY button.

Export_eMAR_History_-_Individual.png

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Medication Administration History

You can download a Medication Administration History report of medications charted in the eMAR.

To download the Medication Administration History report:

  1. In the Menu, click eMAR.
  2. On the lower left side of the page, click the HISTORY button.
  3. In the Start Date and End Date boxes, select the dates on which you want to report.
  4. (Optional) If you want to narrow your report to a specific group or groups, click the Groups box, and then select the group or groups.
  5. Click the DOWNLOAD button.

eMARHistory.png

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Paper MAR and Medication Reports

If you are away from a computer or mobile device, a paper Medication Administration Record (MAR) is available so that you can chart medication administration by hand.

To export a paper MAR:

  1. In the List Builder, filter for the profiles that you want to be included in the paper MAR.
  2. In the List Builder menu, click REPORTS.
  3. In the submenu that appears, click STANDARD.
  4. Click the Report Type box, and then select Medication Administration Records (MARs).
  5. Click the Weeks box, and then select One Week MAR or Four Week MAR.
  6. In the Printing for Date boxes, select the start date for the paper MAR.
  7. Click the EXPORT button.
  8. In the Name Your Report window that appears, type the name of your report.
  9. Click the Submit button.
  10. In the Report Request Successful window that appears, click the OK button.
  11. In the List Builder menu, click DOWNLOADS.
  12. Click the Download icon (Download_Icon.png).

emarreport.png

There are other helpful Medication Reports that you can find in Standard Reports:

  • All Medications
  • Medication Confirmation Forms
  • Medication Counts
  • Medication Labels
  • Medication Summary
  • Authorized OTCs
  • Unauthorized OTCs

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Medication Administration Bulk Entry

When a session or program ends and participants leave before the end of the day, you can use Bulk Entry to update any remaining medications for the participants.

Important: Take care when creating entries in bulk because they cannot be removed or corrected in bulk.

Enable Bulk Entry

Before you can update medications in bulk in the eMAR, you want to make sure that you have this feature enabled. 

To enable Bulk Entry:

  1. In the Menu, click Settings.
  2. In the submenu that appears, click General.
  3. Click the Medications tab.
  4. Check the box to enable Bulk Entry in the eMAR.
  5. Click the SAVE button.

BulkEntryMedications.png 

Update Medications in Bulk 

To bulk update medications in the eMAR:

  1. In the Menu, click eMAR.
  2. Filter for the date, time, and participants that you want to update in bulk. You can learn more about how to do this in the eMAR Filters section.
  3. Click the BULK ENTRY button.
  4. In the Time Slot box, select the time of day that you want to update.
  5. (Optional) In the Recorded at boxes, select the correct time. It will default to the current time.
  6. Check the box to select the status of the medications that you are updating. You can select Given, Not Given, or Pending.
  7. (Optional) If you want to leave a note on each of the medications, do one of the following, depending on whether you created Note Templates or not:
    • If you created Note Templates, click the Note Templates box, and then select a template.
    • If you did not create Note Templates, in the Note box, type your note.
      Tip: Learn more about how to create Note Templates in our General Settings article. 
  8. Click the Record button.

eMAR_Bulk_Entry.png

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