Smart pumps are not smart on their own.

Smart pumps that turn on in a standard mode (i.e., without any dose-checking), or that default to a standard mode, can also discourage compliance because it takes extra effort to switch the pump to the dose-checking mode and to access the library. Smart pumps that call for extra ef fort are more desirable than pumps that turn on in the standard mode because humans can always defeat technology if it is perceived to be a barrier.4 We can compare smart pump technology to a seat belt. Unlike airbags, which are no longer optional safety features that can be bypassed by the user, seat belts are optional equipment and, like dosechecking technology, can be bypassed despite a policy that may require their Mr. Grissinger is Director of Error Reporting Pro grams at the Institute for Safe Medication Practices in Horsham, Pa. (www. ismp.org). ‘Smart Pumps’ Are Not Smart On Their Own