Medication Errors

• Unsafe medication-use practice habits place patients in danger of an infection. To protect patients, remember the following:
  • Place a sterile cap on the end of a reusable I.V. administration set that has been removed from a primary administration set, saline lock, or I.V. catheter hub that will be used again.
  • Properly disinfect the port when accessing needle-free valves on I.V. sets.
  • Always follow aseptic technique.
  • Avoid “looping” – attaching the exposed end of the I.V. tubing to a port on the same tubing.
  • Prohibit unlicensed staff from connecting/disconnecting any medical tubing.
  • Establish policies and assess compliance.
• It was recently reported that an order for PRANDIN (repaglinide) was misread as AVANDIA (rosiglitazone). Both are used to treat diabetes, but the drugs act in different ways. As a precaution, encourage prescribers to include generic names with handwritten orders to help staff differentiate these look-alike brand names.