Bags

Bag barcodes are used to collect and deliver multiple prescriptions at once. Using bags is not mandatory as additional scanning is required to put each prescription into the bag, however the result of this is solid safeguarding against putting the wrong prescription into a bag, meaning delivery errors can be prevented before they happen.

Bags are typically assigned to a specific ward, meaning it is trivial for the system to warn when a particular prescription does not belong in there. Alternatively it's possible to have unassigned bags that allow any initial prescription to be added, with subsequent prescriptions only allowed to be for the same ward.

The term ‘Bag’ is used to mean the generic type of container that will be used. This is usually a zip up courier bag with a clear window for a bag label insert, but of course it can take any physical form.

Bag barcodes are designed to be re-used.

Use of bags requires the recording of delivery. Bags are only considered empty and ready for re-use when its prescriptions have been delivered, so trying to add additional prescriptions to it without this step will trigger its safeguarding measures. As delivery obviously takes place outside the pharmacy, for this reason bags are best suited for users of the delivery app.