SLS-WAVE™
Point of Administration Scanner
Fast, Hands-Free Barcode Medication
Administration for the Operating Room
Overview
Preserve accurate medication identification
—without disrupting the provider’s workflow.
Medication administration in the operating room demands speed, focus and precision. Anesthesia providers shouldn’t have to choose between caring for the patient and documenting the medications they administer.
SLS-WAVE was designed specifically for the OR.
By including the barcode from the original vial (or ampoule) on the syringe label created during medication preparation with the Safe Label System® (SLS), SLS-WAVE enables fast, hands-free barcode medication administration that fits naturally into the anesthesia workflow while electronically documenting the medication identification established during preparation—including the medication name, prepared concentration, and exact NDC1–into supported AIMS/EHR systems.
The Challenge
Providers Need Speed.
Pharmacy Needs Accuracy.
Every anesthesia provider wants the fastest workflow possible—and for good reason. Their attention belongs on the patient, not on documentation.
Many providers use documentation macros within their AIMS/EHR because they reduce clicks and keep the workflow moving.
Documentation macros provide speed by allowing providers to select medications from predefined lists. However, they don’t preserve the medication identification established from the manufacturer barcode scanned during preparation.
Meanwhile, pharmacy depends on accurate medication identification to support medication traceability, inventory management, charge capture, diversion analytics and, for many hospitals, 340B accountability.
For years, hospitals believed they had to choose between provider efficiency and accurately documenting the medication administered.
SLS-WAVE changes that.
- Preserves medication identification.
- Reduces clicks.
- Maintains provider workflow.
Designed Around the Way Providers Actually Work
Administering medication already requires both hands.
One hand holds the syringe.
One hand accesses the IV port.
Traditional handheld barcode scanners introduce unnecessary workflow interruptions. Providers must locate the scanner, ensure it’s available and charged, pick it up, aim it correctly and wait for the barcode to be read—all before administering the medication.
SLS-WAVE eliminates those extra steps.
Mounted within arm’s reach with the provider at the head of the patient, its optimized scanning surface allows the provider to simply ‘wave’ the prepared syringe beneath the scanner on the way to the IV port.
The barcode is read in one continuous movement.
No searching.
No aiming.
No interruption.
Just a natural extension of the administration workflow.
The scan becomes part of the administration motion—not another task to perform.
It Starts with the Barcode
SLS-WAVE works because the Safe Label System creates something unique during medication preparation:
A machine-readable barcode on every prepared syringe label.
As medications are prepared, providers scan the manufacturer barcode on the vial or ampoule using SLS. SLS electronically verifies the medication using visual and audible feedback, then prints a full-color, Joint Commission (TJC)-compliant syringe label while the syringe is being filled.
By the time preparation is complete, every syringe carries a barcode containing the medication identification needed for electronic documentation during administration.
Without that barcode, there is nothing to scan.
Without SLS in the OR, practitioner-prepared syringes don’t carry the machine-readable barcode needed for barcode medication administration. SLS creates that barcode. SLS-WAVE makes it practical to use during administration. See applicable ISMP 2022 Guidelines: 4.3, 4.4, 10.10, 10.12 and 10.13
With SLS and SLS-WAVE together, barcode medication administration becomes both practical and efficient in the operating room.
Barcode Medication Administration (BCMA) That Doesn’t Slow You Down
When it’s time to administer medication, the provider simply waves the prepared syringe beneath SLS-WAVE while moving naturally toward the IV port.
In one continuous motion:
- The syringe barcode is read.
- The medication and prepared concentration are displayed for an additional visual safety check prior to administration.2
- In supported Epic® Anesthesia environments (November 2021 and newer), providers also receive audible drug-name verification and allergy alerts immediately before administration.
- The medication name and prepared concentration are electronically documented and time-stamped in the AIMS/EHR, such as Epic and Cerner.3
- The provider enters only the dose before administering the medication.
The result is faster documentation with fewer manual steps—without disrupting patient care.
An Additional Safety Check Before Administration
Medication administration is one of the final opportunities to help prevent an error before a medication reaches the patient.
SLS-WAVE reads the barcode on the prepared syringe and passes it to the anesthesia information management system (AIMS) which displays the medication name and prepared concentration immediately before administration, providing a final visual safety check3. In supported Epic Anesthesia environments, providers also receive audible drug-name verification and allergy alerts.
By helping verify the syringe prior to administration, SLS-WAVE is helping reduce the risk of syringe swaps—one of the three most common medication errors in the operating room.
Why Medication Identification Matters Beyond the OR
Providers focus on delivering safe patient care.
Pharmacy must also ensure every medication can be accurately traced after the case is complete.
Because SLS-WAVE helps preserve the medication information established during preparation, hospitals gain more complete medication records that support:
- Medication traceability
- Charge capture
- Inventory accuracy
- 340B accountability initiatives
- Controlled substance reconciliation
- Diversion analytics
- More accurate medication records for pharmacy review
The result extends beyond documentation. Hospitals can reduce manual reconciliation, strengthen medication accountability and support operational and financial initiatives such as inventory management and 340B program optimization. One customer reported significant annual savings after implementing SLS-WAVE as part of its 340B workflow.
Beyond Medications
Barcode Verification for Blood Products
The same SLS-WAVE Administration Scanner used for medication administration are also an approved medical device accessory regulated for use with the Epic® Blood Product Administration Module (BPAM)4 with serial numbers beginning with 25 (manufactured in 2025) or later.
With a single scan, SLS-WAVE reads the blood bag barcodes simultaneously and passes each data element into the correct field in BPAM, including:
- Donation Identification Number (DIN)
- ABO blood type/Rh factor
- Product code
- Expiration date/time
This helps streamline transfusion documentation while supporting safer blood administration workflows.
This extends the same fast, “hands-free” workflow beyond medications to another critical area of patient safety.
Built to Connect the Perioperative Medication Workflow
SLS-WAVE integrates with supported AIMS/EHR platforms, including Epic and Cerner®, allowing medication identification captured during preparation to flow electronically into the patient record.
As part of the Codonics medication safety workflow, SLS-WAVE extends the value of the barcode created by SLS—helping connect medication preparation, administration and downstream pharmacy processes.
SLS-WAVE is part of a connected perioperative medication workflow.
In addition to supported AIMS/EHR integrations, SLS-WAVE supports interoperable syringe and LVP pump workflows by enabling the syringe barcode data to be passed to Epic during the infusion. Once the syringe is loaded, the infusion data (pump changes and titrations) are automatically documented in Epic.
Faster + accurate documentation | Improved workflow efficiency
Reduced manual programming | More consistent medication records
Together, SLS, SLS-WAVE and interoperable smart pumps help reduce manual processes while improving medication traceability throughout the perioperative workflow.
Key Benefits
| For Anesthesia Providers | For Pharmacy |
|---|---|
| Hands-free barcode medication administration | Exact medication identification from preparation |
| Fast, natural workflow | Improved medication traceability |
| Fewer documentation clicks | Better documentation quality |
| Additional visual medication verification | Support for medication reconciliation |
| Audible drug verification and allergy alerts in supported Epic environments | Enhanced 340B accountability initiatives |
| More time focused on patient care | Richer data for downstream reporting and analytics |
Supporting Today’s Medication Safety Best Practices
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) 2022 Guidelines recommends barcode-assisted medication verification, standardized labeling, and electronic documentation to help reduce perioperative medication errors.
SLS-WAVE helps hospitals operationalize these recommendations by extending the medication identification established during preparation into the administration workflow—without disrupting provider efficiency.
Working together with the Safe Label System, SLS-WAVE supports hospitals seeking to strengthen medication safety while improving workflow and documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why not just use a handheld barcode scanner?
Handheld scanners can interrupt the administration workflow by requiring providers to locate, hold and aim the scanner before administering medication. SLS-WAVE is designed specifically for the operating room, allowing providers to scan the prepared syringe as part of the natural motion toward the IV port.
Why is the barcode created by SLS important?
The barcode printed on the SLS label carries the medication identification (i.e. NDC) established during preparation. It enables barcode medication administration for practitioner-prepared syringes—something that typically isn't available in the operating room.
Does SLS-WAVE replace documentation macros?
SLS-WAVE addresses a different challenge. While documentation macros provide speed, SLS-WAVE preserves accurate medication identification from preparation and electronically passes it to AIMS/EHR systems for documentation into the patient record while maintaining an efficient provider workflow.
Why doesn't barcode medication administration (BCMA) already exist for anesthesia provider-prepared syringes?
Because the manufacturer's barcode stays on the vial—not the syringe.
SLS creates the machine-readable syringe barcode at preparation.
SLS-WAVE makes that barcode practical to scan during administration.
From Preparation to Administration—Without Compromise
Medication safety begins when the medication is prepared.
It shouldn’t end when it’s administered.
SLS-WAVE extends the barcode created during preparation into a fast, natural administration workflow that helps providers stay focused on the patient while giving pharmacy the accurate medication identification needed downstream.
That’s what makes SLS-WAVE more than a scanner.
It’s what connects medication preparation to administration while preserving accurate medication identification from the original vial to the patient record.
Experience SLS-WAVE
See how fast, hands-free barcode medication administration can fit naturally into your operating room workflow while supporting more accurate medication documentation.
Request A Demo
1 NDC must be included in Epic’s database to receive that data from SLS-WAVE.
2 Integration with Epic requires May 2019 or newer software. Cerner® Sept. 2019 or newer.
3 Cerner Sept. 2015 and newer supports visual for drug name and concentration
4 The Epic® Blood Product Administration Module (BPAM) is an FDA Class 2 device 510(k) cleared (BK241081/product code MMH) software module.
SLS-WAVE Support and Resources
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