08 High-Alert Medicines and Error Prevention Free Online FlashCards

What is a high-alert medication?

A medicine that can cause serious harm if used incorrectly.

What distinguishes high-alert medicines from other medicines?

Errors are not necessarily more frequent, but their consequences may be more severe.

Name three examples of high-alert medicines.

Examples include insulin, anticoagulants, opioids, chemotherapy, neuromuscular blockers, and concentrated electrolytes such as injectable potassium chloride.

Why should staff check their organization's current high-alert list?

The list can vary by care setting and organization, so check the organization's current list and the patient-specific order.

What is the core approach to preventing high-alert medication errors?

Use layered safeguards across prescribing, dispensing, preparation, administration, and monitoring rather than relying on memory or one person's vigilance.

What should be checked about a medicine's identity and purpose?

Confirm the medicine matches both the order and the intended treatment.

What must be verified when checking a high-alert medicine dose?

Verify units, concentration, calculations, and any weight-based dosing against an authoritative reference or protocol.

What makes an independent double check meaningful?

The second checker independently verifies the specified items, such as the patient, medicine, concentration, calculation, and infusion rate; they should not merely agree with the first checker.

When should an independent double check be used?

Use them only when required or selected by the organization's risk controls; manual double checks should be targeted to selected high-risk situations.

What should be checked before administering an insulin infusion?

Check the patient, prescribed dose and units, product concentration, pump rate, and applicable glucose-monitoring plan.

How should high-alert medicines be stored to reduce risk?

Keep medicines secure, within required temperature conditions, and organized to reduce selection errors; apply extra controls such as restricted access or separation of look-alike products.

What should you do if a medicine's identity or storage history is uncertain?

Do not use it; seek pharmacy guidance or follow facility policy if its identity, integrity, storage history, or expiration is uncertain.