Look Alike Sound Alike Medications

Label confused drug medicationsA process to reduce and avoid medication errors.

Do you have a written policy to avoid medication errors?  If look-alike or sound-alike medications are present you must identify and maintain a current list of these medications and actions to prevent errors that are evident during your surgery center accreditation inspection. 

If you have different strengths of a medication distinctively label them with the strength/milligrams.  Also use the color coded dot system or highlighter to denote look-alike sound-alike medications. 

Last but not least keep a copy of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) list of confused drug names and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and ISMP list of look-alike drug names on site.

Here’s to your success,

NB

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