Business and Professions Code section 4128.4

(a) Any unit dose medication produced by a centralized hospital packaging pharmacy shall be barcoded to be machine readable at the inpatient’s bedside using barcode medication administration software.

(b)

The barcode medication administration software shall permit health care practitioners to ensure that, before a medication is administered to an inpatient, it is the right medication, for the right inpatient, in the right dose, and via the right route of administration. The software shall verify that the medication satisfies these criteria by reading the barcode on the medication and comparing the information retrieved to the electronic medical record of the inpatient.

(c)

For purposes of this section, “barcode medication administration software” means a computerized system designed to prevent medication errors in health care settings.

Source: Section 4128.4, https://leginfo.­legislature.­ca.­gov/faces/codes_displaySection.­xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=4128.­4.­ (updated Sep. 2, 2015; accessed Oct. 12, 2026).

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Verified:
Oct. 12, 2026

§ 4128.4's source at ca​.gov