Use of paper clips in organizing unit dose fills.

A system is described that improves the quality of medication cart filling, increases the speed and quality of medication cart checking, and decreases omissions or incorrect dosage errors in medication administration. In a system where scheduled medications and PRN medications are kept in separate drawers, all of the patients' oral medications are attached by a paper clip to a long (2" x 10") card. The medications are organized so that each dose is separated, even when two tablets equal one dose. A medication given three times a day will have three consecutive but separate paper-clipped doses to the card. Nursing and pharmacy staff have an improved ability to check for compliance of medication administration at the end of each shift.