Streamlining VA Workflows with a New EHR: Advancing Medication Administration
At the VA, even small enhancements in the medication administration process can significantly improve patient safety and care. That’s why the department has consistently invested in technology that helps clinical staff deliver medications to Veterans with greater accuracy and efficiency.
For nearly 30 years, the VA has relied on two systems—the Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) and the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS)—to support medication delivery. Now, the Federal Electronic Health Record (EHR) is integrating these functions into a single system, building on the safety and quality improvements initially introduced by BCMA.
Previously, nurses had to switch between BCMA and CPRS to access all the information needed for medication decisions. This back-and-forth often required more than 15 mouse clicks before a medication could be administered, slowing the process and reducing valuable time for direct patient care.
The Federal EHR streamlines workflows across the board, including a complete transformation of the medication administration process.
“Within the Federal EHR, it takes about two clicks to open the medication administration wizard from PowerChart and scan the patient ID to administer medications. Reducing mouse clicks has been shown to free up valuable time for Veteran care,” said Dr. Toni Phillips, chief nursing informatics officer for the Electronic Health Record Modernization Integration Office (EHRM-IO). “Beyond medication administration, the Federal EHR seamlessly integrates orders, labs, and notes from multiple providers into a single platform, eliminating the need to switch between different systems.”
Phillips also highlighted how these improvements align with the broader goals of the Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program.
“The reduction from over 15 clicks in BCMA to just two in the Federal EHR medication administration wizard exemplifies EHRM’s wider mission: to streamline workflows, reduce documentation burdens, and unify data within one system. This shift enhances clinical efficiency, supports better decision-making, and promotes safer patient care. It also reflects EHRM’s commitment to modernizing systems to improve the clinical experience and allow providers to spend more time focused on Veterans.”
The transition to the Federal EHR prioritizes continuity, improved interoperability, decreased operational workload, and greater capacity for ongoing modernization. With each new deployment, providers gain more time to concentrate on what matters most: delivering quality care to Veterans.
For additional information and resources, please visit the EHRM website.
