General Safety
This label color is often used to indicate a high-alert medication.
What is RED?
This type of error happens when the wrong drug is given to a patient.
What is a wrong drug error?
Double-checking this patient-specific information is essential before dispensing medications.
What is patient identity or patient information?
Combining digoxin with either verapamil or amiodarone can lead to what dangerous condition?
What is digoxin toxicity?
This anti-depressant medication is often confused with Celebrex (celecoxib), an anti-inflammatory drug.
What is Celexa (citalopram)?
The term for a medication error that reaches the patient but causes no harm.
What is a near miss or a Precursor Safety Event?
An error where the patient receives the medication at the wrong time is called this.
What is a wrong time error?
Using this type of bar code scanning helps verify the correct medication before administration.
What is barcode medication administration (BCMA)?
This common over-the-counter pain reliever can increase the risk of bleeding when taken with warfarin.
What is aspirin?
One of these similarly named medications is an antihypertensive used to lower blood pressure, while the other is an antihistamine used to treat anxiety or allergies. Name either one.
What is hydrALAzine (for blood pressure) or hydrOXYzine (for anxiety/allergies)?
This type of audit reviews medication use and outcomes to identify and reduce errors.
What is a medication use evaluation (MUE)?
What type of error occurs when a patient does not adhere to the prescribed medication regimen, such as taking a dose late or stopping medication early?
What is a compliance error?
This quality assurance method involves regularly updating pharmacy staff on new safety protocols.
What is continuing education (CE) or staff training?
Foods high in this vitamin, such as broccoli and leafy greens, decrease the effect of warfarin.
What is vitamin K?
Xanax (alprazolam) is a benzodiazepine prescribed for anxiety but don’t confuse it with this medication used to reduce stomach acid. What is the acid-reducing drug?
What is Zantac (ranitidine)?
This organization publishes Medications Safety Alerts and helps reduce medication errors in healthcare.
What is the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)?
This type of error occurs when a medication is omitted or not given at all.
What is an omission error?
This safety system electronically alerts providers about potential drug interactions or allergies.
What is a clinical decision support system (CDSS) i.e. EPIC?
This document is maintained to track medication errors and near misses to improve safety.
What is a medication error report or incident report?
This drug is distinguished as cloNAZepam using Tall Man letters, but is commonly confused with a different medication ending in “pine.” Name the confused drug.
What is cloZAPine?
What labeling method involves using mixed case letters to reduce confusion in similar drug names?
What is tall man lettering?
This error happens when a medication is administered via the incorrect route (e.g., oral instead of IV).
What is a wrong route error?
Implementing this practice of reviewing a patient’s entire medication list helps prevent errors from duplicate or contraindicated drugs.
What is a medication reconciliation?
This regulatory agency oversees the quality and safety standards for pharmacies in the United States.
What is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)?
The drug diazePAM uses Tall Man lettering to differentiate it from a drug used to treat hypertension ending with “zem.” What is the confused drug?
What is dilTIAZem?