Which strategy can enhance patient safety during medication administration?

Using barcoding technology to verify medications is an effective strategy to enhance patient safety during medication administration. This method involves scanning the barcode on the medication and the patient's identification band before administering medication, ensuring that the right patient receives the right medication at the correct dose and time. This technology helps reduce human error, as it provides an additional verification step before administration.

Barcoding systems contribute to preventing medication errors, which can occur due to miscommunication, look-alike or sound-alike medication names, or simply human oversight. By implementing such technology, healthcare providers can enhance accuracy and safeguard patients from potential adverse events related to incorrect medication administration.

In contrast, administering medications without checking for allergies, relying solely on memory for medication doses, and performing tasks in a rush significantly increase the risk of medication errors and compromise patient safety. These practices lack the necessary checks and balances that technology provides, highlighting the importance of adopting reliable methods like barcoding for safe medication management.