Emma R Surber - Comment

The proposed ruling that I have chosen to comment on is in regards to the Bar Code Final Rule, which was published in the Federal Register in February of 2004. This rule discusses the need for a linear bar code to be placed on human drug and biological products as a way to reduce the number of medication errors made by physicians and within hospitals as well as other health care facilities and systems. Due to the fact that the FDA has established a public docket for the review of this rule entitled Executive Order 13563 and after my own research on the topic, I will give my opinions about the ruling. As far as technological advances go, especially over the period of close to eight years, review of rulings such as this are always necessary. I am completely in favor of the FDA requiring that the Bar Code Final Rule be reestablished on the basis that, while linear bar codes on human drug and biological products is still effective, other computer systems, for example, that utilize linear bar codes may have advanced and could prove to be more efficient way of reducing medication errors. As an ordinary citizen, I feel that were I to be prescribed a particular type of medication, I would be free from worry that I could possibly be given the wrong dosage, or that a computer system is set up in such a way that by scanning the drugs’ linear bar code it could reference to any allergy I may have that would affect my medication. While I also understand that physicians are people too, and computers are not infallible, by the review and public comments of the Bar Code Final Rule I believe that suitable changes, if any, can and will be made to this code.