eMAR: Frequently asked questions

eMAR: Frequently asked questions

Here, you can find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about eMAR software.

• What is eMAR?
• What does eMAR stand for?
• What is a MAR chart?
• What is an eMAR system?
• What is the purpose of eMAR software?
• How does eMAR work?
• What are the benefits of eMAR?
• Are there any problems with eMAR?
• Is data held within eMAR safe?
• Does eMAR improve service user/patient safety?
• Does eMAR reduce medication errors?
• How eMAR helps home care agencies
• Changing to an eMAR system
• Book a demo

What is eMAR?

eMAR (or Electronic Medication Administration Record) is the digital alternative to a paper MAR chart. MAR charts (Medication Administration Records) or MAR sheets are used throughout the health and social care industry, including home care, to record details of any medication a person takes while receiving care.

What does eMAR stand for?

eMAR stands for Electronic Medication Administration Record. The acronym is widely used in health and social care to refer to electronic patient record systems that document information about medications rather than using a paper form (known as a MAR chart).

What is a MAR chart?

A MAR chart is a person’s permanent record of their medication. It details every detail about the administration, such as the name of the drug, dosage quantity and frequency, time of administration, the method, and the person administering it. 

What is an eMAR system?

An eMAR system refers to software that care providers use to manage and monitor medication administration. Carers receive instructions via a mobile app and record details that are also tracked in real-time. Systems like IQ:caremanager ensure care plans are automatically updated when prescriptions change, supporting accurate and timely care.

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What is the purpose of eMAR software?

The purpose of eMAR software is to improve care. By keeping all medication information in one place, care managers can collaborate with authorised care professionals and family members to create better-personalised care plans that are accurate and up to date.

When using a product such as IQ:caremanager, carers can receive medication details and instructions via our mobile home care app, ensuring that instructions are clear and improving both safety and efficiency. Through the app, care managers can monitor medication administration in real-time, enabling them to be more responsive when issues arise and manage them quickly and easily. 

How does eMAR work?

eMAR makes medication administration easier and more efficient for all involved. Its introduction has significantly changed the health and care industry over the last decade, helping to improve processes, eliminate errors, and reduce risk.

Typically, a care coordinator will create a medication schedule for a client within an eMAR system, with specific instructions about the medication required. This will include types of medication, dosage, frequency and how drugs are administered.

The information is then automatically pushed from the electronic medication system to a care worker’s mobile device to view when they attend a home care visit. This gives care workers access to information about medications that they can be sure are accurate and up to date.

During the visit, care support workers can use their mobile devices to record when medication was administered and add any relevant notes, such as the medication being refused and the reason why. This information is automatically added to the MAR chart.

With eMAR, notes are synchronised immediately without desktop software, enabling managers to review and sign off. This gives care agencies a complete and accurate picture of all medications in real-time. Some systems will even trigger alerts if there is an issue; for example, Unique IQ’s IQ:timecard software will prevent a carer from clocking out of their visit if they fail to log that mandatory medication has been given. The care manager on duty will receive a notification by email or text.

Thanks to the data being held together in one centralised system, care organisations can quickly produce reports to show evidence of their care, spot trends and save time searching documents for specific medications and information.

What are the benefits of eMAR?

Using an eMAR system has several benefits.

Fewer errors – information about required medications is continuously updated with an eMAR system, so care support workers always have the most recent information about the drugs they need to administer. Recording notes electronically also reduces the number of mistakes caused by ineligible handwriting.

Improved safety – Reducing errors directly improves the safety of the person being cared for. Alerts about mandatory medication also prevent essential drugs from being missed.

Real-time monitoring – Making medication administration records electronic means that care organisations can see an accurate picture of a person’s care at any one time, rather than waiting until the end of the month to review a paper MAR sheet that’s been collected from a client’s home.

Less paperwork – Using an electronic system reduces the amount of paperwork as many pieces of information can be pre-populated from data held elsewhere in the system. For example, dosages can be preset for a particular type of medication, rather than having to check and write out an instruction every time a drug is required. It is also much faster to tick off medications and type or dictate notes into a mobile app than to fill in a paper form by hand.

Greater security – Storing information within the cloud and granting access according to a set of centralised permissions provides a much higher level of protection than keeping paper forms within a folder in a client’s home or transporting them between visits. When using eMAR, there is a much lower risk of information being lost, damaged or seen by someone it shouldn’t be, as the care manager controls all data.

Reporting and evidence – Keeping information about medications in a central eMAR system makes it much easier to generate reports showing the care given, any issues, and the actions taken. Reports can be produced quickly for compliance purposes and to provide insights into the functioning of a home care organisation.

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Concerns with eMAR

Lack of confidence in using technology is usually the main reason for most concerns about introducing eMAR into a care business. However, eMAR is very easy to use, so much so Unique IQ has care workers in their late sixties who confidently use the system daily. 

Some of the perceived barriers to eMAR that come up include:

• Needing a smartphone app
• Concerns about the amount of mobile data that might be used by an internet-based system
• Keeping smartphones up to date so that the system functions correctly
• Whether the data is kept safe and secure
• Using a phone is seen as impersonal by the person receiving care

In practice, these barriers are quickly overcome by managing how eMAR is introduced into a home care organisation.

Through effective internal communication, clear user guides, and the support of eMAR champions within your business, educating your carers on eMAR software helps make the transition from paper to digital smooth and straightforward. By guiding support workers on their journey to using eMAR software, you can ensure they feel confident and supported throughout the process.

Is data held within eMAR safe?

Data held in a cloud-based eMAR system is typically safer and more secure than paper-based records stored in filing cabinets, client homes, or transported between locations.

Only authorised users with a username and password can access the system or app. Data is stored in the cloud, protected by firewalls and other security protocols.

With a system like IQ:caremanager, you have complete control over user permissions, determining which records, fields and documents each user can view and update. This means carers and care managers can only access the information they need to plan, deliver, and monitor care effectively.

For example, if a client has a keyless entry system, a branch manager can reveal the code to the carer while preventing the regional manager. Minimising exposure in this way reduces risk and helps protect vulnerable clients.

Does eMAR improve service user/patient safety?

In short, yes! While there’s no reason a paper-based company can’t provide safe care, it is widely understood that software is far more secure due to the protocols and barriers in place. Not only is sensitive data better protected, but you can also monitor who has made changes and where.

When planning, all health records are stored where you need them, facilitating better personalisation of care plans and clear medication instructions for carers. This significantly minimises the risk of administration errors.

Prompts remind care support workers to administer mandatory and PRN medication. Alerts can also notify managers of changes to the medication type or dosage or circumstances surrounding their client, such as a cancelled appointment.

Using eMAR helps to prioritise patient safety, reducing the risk of missed or incorrect dosages or, worse, repeating medication administration.

Care support workers can also provide feedback and notes based on their visit, such as the medication being refused and the reason why. These notes can be sent immediately to head office.

Does eMAR reduce medication errors?

Paper-based MAR charts can cause greater risk to both the client and their care worker. Misunderstanding a colleague’s handwriting, losing documents, outdated paperwork, and lack of data can all lead to incorrect or missed medication.

Unlike paper-based MAR charts, eMAR has a much higher accuracy rate, with fewer errors experienced by users. As the information is electronically stored and accessed through one system, it limits editing and accidental deletion of medication records. If an error is made, the care support worker can communicate directly with the head office, informing them of the issue. In real-time, the incorrect data can be corrected and updated with notes regarding the outcome, storing a full history of the error and actions taken.

How can eMAR help home care agencies?

eMAR reduces the risk of medication errors, saves time, and streamlines processes, all of which help improve everyone’s day-to-day tasks.

Using an eMAR system can be an efficient and effective tool for your care business and can help to:

• reduce the risk of medication errors
• provide a complete medication history
• save time for care support workers, helping them to spend more time with their clients
• streamline processes
• give clients peace of mind their personal information is secure
• strengthen communication between care support workers and office

Over the last decade, eMAR has grown in popularity throughout the care sector, and we are seeing more and more home care agencies adopting this kind of digital solution.

Change to an eMAR system

eMAR system can be up and running at the click of a button, giving care agencies immediate access to digital MAR charts. However, at Unique IQ, we recommend a steady transition away from paper records, piloting with a few carers before fully rolling out to the entire workforce. With our client support team on hand to assist from day one, we provide free training sessions and demonstrations, to ensure you are confident in using the system, helping to make the change as smooth as possible.

For more information about Unique IQ and our home care software, please get in touch with our team, or alternatively, request a demo.

Need help finding what you’re looking for? Use the form below to ask us any questions you have about recording medication administration digitally and see our software in action.