Medication errors are one of the most reported areas of adverse events. A medication error is defined as an error in the medication process (ordering, dispensing, transcribing, administering, and monitoring). Clinicians should pay particular attention to the “5 R’s” that ensure medication safety. The “5 R’s” of medication safety are: Right patient, Right medication, Right dose, Right route of administration and Right time. Clinicians who prescribe, transcribe, dispense and or administer medications should refer to the medication safety on-line references including the BWH Drug Administration Guidelines (DAGs) and Formulary, Physicians Desk Reference and Micromedex. The DAGs contain information including the drug description, major uses, dose and administration, special equipment, preparation, drug-drug compatibility, who may administer the drug, monitoring considerations, contraindications, side effects and sensitivities, drug interactions and references.
The BWH Medication Formulary option identifies the formulary status of the selected drug and also provides a direct link to Micromedex drug information database. For those drugs not listed in the DAGs or the BWH Medication Formulary, please call your pharmacist for further information.
To access the BWH DAG reference files or the BWH Medication Formulary:
- go to the “Start Menu”;
- choose Partners Application, then the Clinical References option;
- choose the BWH Pharmacy Information Resources option or partners Handbook option; and
- access either the Drug Administration Guideline Option or the Medication Formulary Option.
For comments or questions about this article or about patient safety, please email Tejal Gandhi, MD or Erin Graydon-Baker.