Use of colour-coded labels for intravenous high-risk medications and lines to improve patient safety.

Problem: Labelling of high-risk drug infusions and lines is a well-recognised safety strategy to prevent medication errors. Although hospital wards characterised by multiple high-risk drug infusions use different types of labelling, little is known about the contribution of a colour-coded label (CCL) to patient safety.

Setting: A quality improvement programme audit at a tertiary care facility, the Hadassah University Medical Center Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel.