We recently transitioned to insulin pens and are having problems with the BD safety needles, pooling at the site of injection and difficulty with retraction of the safety guard despite re-training and additional education.

For those using insulin pens, is anyone else having these concerns? Also, are you using the BD safety needles or Novofine or others?

How are healthcare practitioners coached at your institutions to obtain an accurate, complete, home medication list in the setting of sensitive information (e.g. contraception, HIV/AIDS, mental health, terminal illnesses)? What about in the setting of generational, cultural or personal influences that may prevent the patient from disclosing his or her entire medication list? Does your institution educate patients and inform them that having a single, accurate, complete, medication list is key?

Sincerely,
Allison Hanson, PharmD, BCPS
ISMP Fellow

The World Health Organization launched a global campaign to create awareness of patient safety. Today, September 17th is the first-ever World Patient Safety Day. Check out this interactive map to see events that are taking place worldwide: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-patient-safety-day/2019

Best,
Carley Castelein
Cincinnati Children's Hospital
Medication Safety Resident

Hello all,

I would like to know if there is something in the literature showing the ratio between the number of medication safety officers to the number of beds in the hospital? I am planning to open a medication safety unit and not sure what are the recommendations? Currently, I am one person covering a 1200-bed capacity hospital.

I appreciate your guidance

Hello all,

I would like to know if there is something in the literature showing the ratio between the number of medication safety officers to the number of beds in the hospital? I am planning to open a medication safety unit and not sure what are the recommendations? Currently, I am one person covering a 1200-bed capacity hospital.

I appreciate your guidance

Hello all,

I would like to know if there is something in the literature showing the ratio between the number of medication safety officers to the number of beds in the hospital? I am planning to open a medication safety unit and not sure what are the recommendations? Currently, I am one person covering a 1200-bed capacity hospital.

I appreciate your guidance

Join ISMP International Fellows in promoting the first ever World Health Organization (WHO) World Patient Safety Day. It is estimated that 1 in 10 patients are harmed while receiving hospital care in high-income countries, and 1 out of every 4 hospitalizations results in patient harm each year in low- and middle-income countries.  In May of this year, WHO’s Member States established September 17th as World Patient Safety Day.

Hi,
I am looking for an authentic reference from any reliable source for the interpretation of the expiry dates printed on the medication packages.
For example if the expiry date printed on the package is 05/22, We consider it to be good for use till the last day of May for the year 2022, at our institution. But I am struggling to find any strong reference for the same. I will appreciate if someone can help by providing a reference. Thanks for any help in advance.

Syed Zia ul Arifeen
Medication Safety Officer & Quality Improvement Pharmacist

For those that are drawing up patient-specific doses, how do you handle larger doses (80-100 units or more):
-Do you split into separate syringes? (this can get complicated for dosing and administration with the EHR)
-Send a vial and have the nurse draw up?
-Any other ideas?

Our practice is to prepare all Lantus doses under 80 units. If a dose is larger than that, we send a vial. For other long acting insulins we send a vial or a pen, depending on the insulin.

Hi All, we've had a couple of near misses here in which the light-protective bag intended for a Lasix drip is placed on a different drip before dispensing, and then sent to the wrong floor based on the outer bag label. This has lead to the question: Do we even need to protect Lasix from light after mixing, as these are administered immediately and hang for a maximum of 24 hours.

What is your practice and, if you don't light-protect, which reference are you using to support this?

Thank you!

Erica Fredette
Medication Safety Officer
South Shore Health