Microsoft word - human deficit medication errors by physicians.docx

Prevention of Common Medication Ordering Errors
 Unapproved Abbreviation – Do not use U or IU when writing an order. Please spell out ‘unit.’
Example of Incorrect Initial Order – Heparin 10u/ml read as: 100/ml Example Intended Order - Heparin 10units /ml  Unapproved Abbreviation – Do not use QD or QOD. Please spell out ‘every day’ or ‘every other day.’
Example of Incorrect Initial Order – Atenolol QD read as: every other day instead of every day Example Intended Order – Atenolol 8mg daily  Unapproved Abbreviation – Do not use trailing or leading zeros.
Example of Incorrect Initial Order - .20mg Dilaudid PCA basal rate read as: 20mg/hr Example Intended Order – Dilaudid PCA basal rate of 0.2mg/hr Example of Incorrect Initial Order – Wean to Ativan 1.0mg po q8h read as: Wean to Ativan10mg po q8h Example of Intended Order – Wean to Ativan 1mg po q8h  PRN reason listed – Please make sure that every PRN medication has a reason listed so that the
Example of Incorrect Initial Order-Tylenol #3 - 1 tablet po q6h prn Pain AND Morphine Sulfate2 mg IV q6h prn Pain (No differentiation for pain level) Example of Intended Order - Tylenol #3 - 1 tablet po q6h prn Moderate Pain AND MorphineSulfate 2 mg IV q6hr prn Severe Pain  Weight based orders – Please make sure if you want the medication weight based you are including
the correct mg/kg/dose or day for that particular medication.
Example of Incorrect Initial Order – Zonegran 5 mg po BID (60mg/kg/day) - 60 mg/kg/day isnot the dose for Zonegran, rather for Keppra Example of Clarified order—Zonegran 150 mg po BID (60 mg/kg/day) - This leads to a 30 folderror Example of Intended Order---Zonegran 5 mg po BID (2 mg/kg/day). The dose and weightbased dose are the APPROPIATE AND CORRECT dose.
 Legibility – Please assure that your writing is legible. If you are correcting a previously written or
submitted order do not write over or strike through the original order. A follow up order which
corrects the original order must be written. The only acceptable strike through of an order by
initialing and rewriting the order is if you are still within that said order. Any variation from this
acceptable method of writing orders delays patient care because the RN and Pharmacist have to
contact the ordering physician for clarification. It takes you additional time to have to respond to the
request for clarification. Please take a few extra minutes and write so the staff can read what you
intend for the patient.
Example of Incorrect Initial Order Orapred 45mg with a ‘10’ written on top of the 45 Example of Intended Order – Clarification: Orapred 10mg po BID

Source: http://christussantarosa.org/workfiles/Prevention%20of%20Common%20Medication%20Ordering%20Errors.pdf