Five Rights
This "Right" ensures that the medication is given to the correct individual
What is the Right Patient?
This type of error occurs when a doctor writes an incorrect order, such as wrong dosage or wrong route.
What is a prescribing error?
This nonprofit group is dedicated to preventing medication errors and promotes safe drug use.
What is ISMP (Institute for Safe Medication Practices)?
This electronic system lets doctors send prescriptions directly to pharmacies, reducing handwriting errors.
What is CPOE (Computerized Physician Order Entry)?
LASA drugs contribute to errors because they have this similarity.
What is look-alike, sound-alike names?
This "Right" requires verifying the strength and amount of medication administered
What is the Right Dose?
This error happens when a medication dose is unintentionally not administered.
What is an omission error?
Founded by USP, this council focuses on interdisciplinary strategies to prevent medication errors.
What is NCCMERP (National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention)?
Barcoding medications primarily helps verify these three things.
What are the drug’s name (NDC code), lot number, and expiration date?
This type of poor handwriting can cause dangerous misinterpretations in prescriptions.
What is illegible handwriting?
This "Right" involves confirming how the medication is to be administered, such as oral or intravenous.
What is the Right Route?
When a patient does not follow the prescribed treatment plan, this error occurs.
What is a compliance error?
This FDA program allows reporting of adverse drug events and safety issues.
What is MedWatch?
This hospital machine automatically sorts medications and places them in envelopes for patients.
What is a Robot-Rx machine?
Stress caused by this type of workplace pressure can contribute to medication errors.
What is a high workload or high stress environment?
This "Right" confirms that the drug matches the physician’s order.
What is the Right Medication?
Giving a patient more or less than the prescribed dose is known as this error.
What is an improper dose error?
This organization sets quality standards for medicines, food ingredients, and supplements.
What is the USP (United States Pharmacopeial Convention)?
In hospitals, these machines store unit-dosed medications on patient floors for nurse access.
What is an Automated Dispensing System (ADS)?
Attempting to perform several tasks at once can lead to this problem.
What is multitasking leading to distraction and errors?
This "Right" ensures the medication is given at the correct time, such as before or after meals.
What is the Right Time?
When a medication is mixed incorrectly or in unsanitary conditions, this error happens.
What is a wrong drug preparation error?
This system collects information about adverse drug events for the FDA.
What is the FAERS program (FDA Adverse Event Reporting System)?
This lettering style uses mixed-case letters to highlight differences between similar drug names.
What is Tall Man lettering?
Poor or confusing information on drug containers falls under this type of error cause.
What is a labeling error?