more focus on ensuring the right patient gets the right med

April 2011

You'll see more focus on ensuring the right patient gets the right med...following on the heels of the recent methotrexate error.

Methotrexate is used for chemotherapy, arthritis, etc. Giving it to the wrong patient can cause birth defects, liver damage, and death.

In the most recent case, a pregnant woman received another person's methotrexate...and took one dose before the error was caught.

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Table of Contents

Medication Errors more focus on ensuring the right patient gets the right med
Cough & Cold removal of about 500 unapproved Rx cough, cold, and allergy products
Supplements potassium iodide for radiation exposure
Benzodiazepines avoid mix-ups with "benzodiazepines"
Hypertension new "ARB" blood pressure med, Edarbi (eh-DAR-bee, azilsartan)
UTIs Rxs for urinary tract infections (UTIs) are causing confusion
Med Administration Allegra (fexofenadine) is the latest med to make the Rx to OTC switch
Pregnancy the safety of meds in pregnancy
Oral Health how to handle antibiotic prescriptions written for use before dental work
PPIs Nexium, Aciphex, Protonix, and other "PPI" drugs are being overused
STIs changes in antibiotic and antiviral prescriptions used for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
Medication Errors Technicians in all settings can learn medication safety lessons from how hospital techs handle code blues
Dosage Forms whether oral disintegrating tablets (ODT) work any faster than regular tablets