Medication safety and high alert medications

What it is

Goal 3 is to improve the safety of using medications.

High alert medications are drugs that bear a raised risk of causing significant patient harm when used in error. The examples given are insulin, narcotics, injectable potassium chloride, iv anticoagulants, and sodium chloride above 0.9%. Look alike or sound alike medication belongs here too.

How it is treated

Two rules carry Goal 3.

• NPSG.03.04.01: label all medications, medication containers, and other solutions on and off the sterile field in perioperative and other procedural settings. It applies to ambulatory, critical access hospital, hospital and office based surgery.
• NPSG.03.06.01: maintain and communicate accurate patient medication information. It applies to seven settings: ambulatory, behavioral health care, critical access hospital, home care, hospital, long term care and office-based surgery.

At the bedside the check is the 7 rights: patient, medication, time, route, dosage, frequency, documentation.