US puts forth bar codes for drugs

Washington, Dec 6: In an attempt to reduce deaths from medical errors in hospitals, US authorities have proposed requiring bar codes on prescription drugs, a health and human services official said on Wednesday. HHS announced this week that it would formally propose the rule next April.

The timetable for finalizing it depends in part on how much public comment it generates for the department to review, a department spokesman said. A 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine estimated that up to 98,000 people die from medical errors in hospitals, with many errors arising from prescription mistakes.

— Reuters