What are the top 5 high-alert medications?

The top five high-alert medications identified by the ISMP study are insulin; opiates and narcotics; injectable potassium chloride (or phosphate) concentrate (See Sentinel Event Alert, Issue 1); intravenous anticoagulants (heparin); and sodium chloride solutions above 0.9 percent.

Which medication should be labeled with a high-alert sticker?

” stickers are applied to high- alert medications such as I.V. insulin.

What are the top 6 high-alert medications?

The five high-alert medications are insulin, opiates and narcotics, injectable potassium chloride (or phosphate) concentrate, intravenous anticoagulants (heparin), and sodium chloride solutions above 0.9%.

What medications are considered high-alert?

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  • High-alert medications are drugs that bear a heightened risk of causing significant patient harm when they are used in error.
  • Epinephrine, IM, SC.
  • Adrenergic agonists, IV (eg, epinephrine, phenylephrine, norepinephrine)
  • • Anticoagulants (eg, warfarin, low-molecular-weight heparin, IV unfractionated heparin)

What are LASA drugs?

Look Alike Sound Alike (LASA) medications involve medications that are visually similar in physical appearance or packaging and names of medications that have spelling similarities and/or similar phonetics.

Is aspirin considered a high risk medication?

FACT: Aspirin is a drug If you are at risk for heart attack or stroke your doctor may prescribe aspirin to increase blood flow to the heart and brain. But any drug — including aspirin — can have harmful side effects, especially when mixed with other products.

Is propofol a high alert medication?

Propofol has long been on ISMP’s list of high alert medications and ISMP has published medication safety alerts about propofol. They include multiple examples of patients developing respiratory arrest or hypotension during propofol sedation for procedures.

Is calcium gluconate a high alert medication?

High Alert Medication: This medication bears a heightened risk of causing significant patient harm when it is used in error.

What is LASA example?

LASA drugs are medications that look or sound similar to each other, either by their generic name, or brand name. They might have similar packaging, similar-sounding names, or similar spellings. For example, Prozac sounds a lot like Prilosec when said out loud.

What is high risk drugs?

High risk medicines (HRMs) are medications that have an increased risk of causing significant patient harm or death if they are misused or used in error.

Why is aspirin no longer recommended?

In response, the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology updated their guidelines last March. They no longer recommend aspirin for cardiovascular disease prevention in adults aged 70 and older or for those with a higher risk of bleeding, like those with stomach (peptic) ulcers.

What should be avoided when taking aspirin?

If you are taking aspirin, avoid drinking alcoholic beverages because there is a risk of stomach bleeding. Avoid taking aspirin on an empty stomach, as this can cause heartburn. Take it with water, milk, or food. Do not take any over-the-counter drugs without first getting your doctor’s approval.

Which is one of the National patient safety goals?

Medication safety is one of the National Patient Safety Goals of the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission has outlined three main sub-goals supporting the primary goal of improving the safety of using medications.

Are there safety nets for High Alert Medications?

In some cases, there are no safety nets in place at all, and hospitals are relying on staff vigilance to keep patients safe when receiving high-alert medications. In addition, some hospitals have not updated their list of high-alert medications since it was first mandated by The Joint Commission more than 10 years ago.

What are the safe practice recommendations for High Alert Medications?

Safe Practice Recommendations: We encourage hospitals to take the time to reassess their current list of high-alert medications and any plans that have been enacted to reduce the risk of errors and harm with these drugs. To guide this process, please consider the following:

Why are drugs referred to as high alert?

These drugs are commonly referred to as “high-alert” medications. Though mistakes may or may not be more common with these drugs, the consequences of errors with these medications are more devastating to patients.