Pass Meds Scanning is a barcode scanning feature that verifies the medication in hand matches the active order in ALIS before you document administration.
About Pass Meds Scanning
When you scan a medication package during a med pass, ALIS matches the barcode, usually the order's Prescription Number (Rx#), to the resident's active pharmacy order. ALIS locates the order on the page and confirms the match, so staff don't have to search for it manually.
Pass Meds Scanning adds a layer of verification at the time of administration, helping confirm:
- The right medication
- The right resident
- The right time
Important: Pharmacy orders must be processed on the Pharmacies page before medications can be successfully scanned. For more information, see the Processing Pharmacy Orders Reference Guide.
Tip: Checking in deliveries with Check-In Orders with Barcode Scanning confirms each package will scan successfully during Pass Meds.
Pass Meds Scanning Prerequisites
Before using Pass Meds Scanning:
- Barcode Scanning must be fully enabled for your community, with Med Pass Scanning turned on in Barcode Scanning Settings.
- Pharmacy orders must be processed on the Pharmacies page.
- Ideally, your community has received at least 2–3 cycle fills through your ALIS pharmacy connection.
For more information, see Barcode Scanning Reference Guide.
Start a Med Pass
- Open Pass Meds from your navigation menu:
- Enhanced Navigation (sidebar): Go to Clinical > Meds > Pass Meds.
- Legacy Navigation (top menu): Go to Medications > Pass Meds.
- Click Pass Meds for a resident within the appropriate time frame.
Scan Medication Orders
Once inside the resident’s Pass Meds page, you will see the notification banner at the top of the page and above each order.
- Scan progress banner: Appears at the top of the order list and tracks how many orders are scanned, for example "0 of 4 routine medications have been scanned."
- Ready to scan barcode: An orange message above each order that still needs to be scanned.
- Barcode scan complete!: The message above the order turns green when the scan matches the order processed from your pharmacy.
- All routine medications have been scanned: A green banner that appears once every order for the resident in that time range is scanned.
Record the Outcome
After a successful scan:
- Confirm or select the outcome: Passed, Refused, Adverse Reaction, or Other. (This may be auto-selected for you based on your barcode scanning settings).
- Enter any additional documentation, such as vitals or notes.
- Click Record Med Pass.
Reset or Skip a Scan
- Reset Scan: Click Reset Scan on an order to clear its scan, for example if the wrong package was scanned.
- Skip Scan: Click Skip Scan to document an order without scanning it. If you skip a scan, you must enter a reason.
Handling Scan Errors
If a scan can't be matched to an order that's ready to pass, a pop-up error appears. The error tells you which issue applies.
Scanned Order Doesn't Match
The scanned barcode doesn't match an active order in ALIS. Common causes include:
- The pharmacy discontinued the order, but the discontinue message hasn't been processed on the Pharmacies page yet.
- The pharmacy order hasn't been processed on the Pharmacies page yet.
Not Time to Pass
The scanned order matches an active order, but it can't be passed right now. Common causes include:
- The order is scheduled for a later med pass time frame.
- The order was already scanned for this med pass time frame, but Record Med Pass wasn't clicked.
For either error, do not document the order until a Nurse or supervisor who manages medications in ALIS can review and help resolve it. They may need to process any pending messages for the resident on the Pharmacies page before you can scan the package again and record in Pass Meds.
Barcode Scanning Settings
Two settings affect how scanning works during a med pass:
- Strict Mode: When enabled, ALIS requires every order to be scanned before its outcome can be recorded. To document an order that can't be scanned, staff must skip the scan and enter a reason. When disabled (commonly recommended), med passers can document an order even if it hasn't been scanned.
- Scanning Preselects Med As: Automatically selects an outcome after a successful scan. Most communities set this to Passed, and staff can still change it to Refused, Adverse Reaction, or Other.
Settings are managed at Settings > Medications > Barcode Scanning tab. For more information, see Barcode Scanning Settings.
Pass Med Report
Use the Pass Med Report to review scanning activity for your community.
With Barcode Scanning enabled, the report includes a Barcode Scan filter with these options:
- Scan Complete: Orders that were scanned successfully.
- Not Scanned: Orders documented without a scan.
- Scan Skipped: Orders where the scan was skipped, along with the reason entered.
For more information, see Pass Med and Medication Exceptions Reports.