FAC-MAR-03 · Downtime: reconcile a paper MAR, and print the drug chart

When the network or power goes, the round goes on, on paper. Two things make that safe. There's a printed drug chart to work from, and afterwards every dose given on paper is reconciled into Verabase at the time it was actually given. The chart then says plainly that it was copied from paper and wasn't scanned.

Why this matters

A dose given during an outage and never entered looks like a missed dose, so it may be given again. A dose entered afterwards as if it was scanned at the bedside is a false record. Reconciliation avoids both.

Before you start

• Nurse: nurse.eze@demo-clinic.test / Verabase-2026.
• The signed paper MAR from the outage, with a way to identify each entry (e.g. Surgical Ward B downtime sheet 25/09, line 7).
• Print the chart before you need it: at the start of each shift on wards where outages are common.

Steps

1. Print the drug chart

On Medication (MAR), choose Print chart. Choose what to print (e.g. one day's drug chart), which day, and whose chart: one patient, or every patient in scope. Then choose Print.

The sheet lists each patient's orders against the day's times, with what was already given (✓), withheld (W) or refused (R), and empty boxes to sign by hand. It shows its timezone and when it was generated. Print sends it to the printer; Download PDF saves it.

2. After the outage, reconcile each paper dose

For each dose signed on paper, Record it on the round as usual, choose Given, and tick Reconcile a signed paper MAR from downtime:

• Time given on paper: when it was actually given. It defaults to now in the clinic's time; change it to the paper time.
• Paper MAR reference: which sheet and line, so anyone can find the original.
• Confirm the five rights as usual. Barcode confirmation is not needed: the dose was given hours ago, so scanning now would only pretend. A high-alert or controlled drug still needs its witness (FAC-MAR-02).

The chart shows the dose at the paper time, marked FROM PAPER and NO SCAN. Hover over it to see the paper reference.

What Verabase will refuse and why

You try to…	Verabase says	Why
Reconcile without the paper reference	Enter the paper MAR reference you are reconciling.	The original must be findable
Reconcile without the time on paper	Enter the time the dose was actually given.	The chart must show when the patient got it, not when it was typed

You're done when…

• [ ] Every dose on the paper sheet is on the chart at its paper time, marked from paper.
• [ ] The paper sheet is filed where its reference says.

Practice task

Print one patient's drug chart for today. Then reconcile a paracetamol dose given on paper an hour ago, with a sheet reference. Check: the trainer sees the dose at the paper time, marked from paper and no scan, and finds the reference by hovering.

Related journeys

FAC-MAR-01 The drug round in depth · FAC-MAR-02 High-alert and controlled drugs