A Continuous Observation Workflow Time Study to Assess Intravenous Push Waste.

There are significant costs associated with proper controlled substance disposal, management, and regulatory compliance. Given the high abuse potential of fentanyl, hydromorphone, and morphine it is imperative that (1) product waste is minimized; and (2) waste procedures are followed to ensure safe disposal. Research is needed to better understand the financial and workforce impacts of drug waste on inpatient hospital units.

Risk of Patient Harm Related to Unnecessary Dilution of Ready-to-Administer Prefilled Syringes: A Literature Review.

Unnecessary dilution of ready-to-administer (RTA) syringes could increase the risk of patient harm attributed to errors related to incorrect dose, improper labeling, and the potential for microbial contamination. Although published guidelines endorse the use of commercially available RTA syringes, recent surveys indicate that best practices are not always implemented. The purpose of this article is to review the existing literature and to assess the incidence and nature of errors related to the unnecessary dilution of RTA intravenous (IV) push medications in the inpatient clinical setting.

Unintended Patient Safety Risks Due to Wireless Smart Infusion Pump Library Update Delays.

Objective: Our previous study showed that the issue of drug library update delays on wireless intravenous (IV) infusion pumps of one major vendor was widespread and significant. However, the impact of such a delay was unclear. The objective of this study was to quantify the impact of pump library update delays on patient safety in terms of missed and false infusion programming alerts.

A Review of Best Practices for Intravenous Push Medication Administration.

In 2015, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) released safe practice guidelines for adult intravenous (IV) push medications. ISMP's most recent set of guidelines has added to a growing list of recommendations from professional groups on the safe use of IV medications. These recommendations and guidelines vary with regard to their audience, scope, and terminology.

A Comparison of Error Rates Between Intravenous Push Methods: A Prospective, Multisite, Observational Study.

Objectives: Current literature estimates the error rate associated with the preparation and administration of all intravenous (IV) medications to be 9.4% to 97.7% worldwide.

Board of Pharmacy Practices Related to Medication Errors and Their Potential Impact on Patient Safety.

State boards of pharmacy are generally responsible for the governance of the practice of pharmacy. While the regulatory process and methods for accomplishing this task may vary by state, all boards of pharmacy must address medication errors committed by pharmacists. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) has recommended that state boards of pharmacy implement best practices and enforcement actions that are aimed to promote patient safety and reduce medication errors.

Intravenous Smart Pump Drug Library Compliance: A Descriptive Study of 44 Hospitals.

Background: Although intravenous (IV) smart pumps with built-in dose-error reduction systems (DERS) can reduce IV medication administration error, most serious adverse events still occur during IV medication administration. Sources of error include overriding DERS and manually bypassing drug libraries and the DERS.

Methods: Our purpose was to use the Regenstrief National Center for Medical Device Informatics data set to better understand IV smart pump drug library and DERS compliance.