AHRQ Patient Safety Network ► Implementation of standardized dosing units for I.V. medications.

AHRQ Patient Safety Network



Implementation of standardized dosing units for I.V. medications.

Jung B, Couldry R, Wilkinson S, Grauer D. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2014;71:2153-2158.

This case study describes how the introduction of an electronic health record system at an academic medical center revealed that multiple dosing units could be ordered for some intravenous medications. For example, epinephrine could be ordered either as micrograms per minute or as micrograms per kilogram per minute. Following multiple stakeholder meetings and analyses, a strategy for standardization was adopted which led to decreased risks for medication errors.

PubMed citation 
Available at 

Related Resources

COMMENTARY

Medication errors: don't let them happen to you.

Anderson P, Townsend T. Amer Nurs Today. March 2010;5:23-27.

SPECIAL OR THEME ISSUE

Safety in Numbers: Evidence-based Development of a Medicine Management Learning Tool.

Holland K, ed. Nurse Educ Pract. 2013;13:e1-e87.

COMMENTARY

Nursing student medication errors: a case study using root cause analysis.

Dolansky MA, Druschel K, Helba M, Courtney K. J Prof Nurs. 2013;29:102-108.

STUDY

No interruptions please: impact of a no interruption zone on medication safety in intensive care units.

Anthony K, Wiencek C, Bauer C, Daly B, Anthony MK. Crit Care Nurse. 2010;30:21-29.

View all related resources...