Medication Safety
Reduce the occurrence of medication errors with evidence-informed best practices for safety
Medication Errors Are the Number One Cause of Adverse Events
Medication errors are the leading cause of adverse events, with one in 20 patients facing harm worldwide. However, resources to reduce the occurrence of these events are limited. Leaders in patient safety, medication safety, pharmacy, risk, and quality seek to prevent these adverse events and protect their patients. Yet, that work can be challenging with the emergence of new technologies, medications, and regulations. Expert tools and resources can help in identifying and mitigating medication-related risks.
In the United States, more than 1.3 million patients are injured due to medication errors. For one in four patients, that harm is life-threatening.
Medication errors can have serious consequences such as:
- Patient injury or death
- Increased healthcare costs
- Ineffective treatment
- Medication-related hospitalizations
- Loss of reputation
How Do Medication Errors Occur?
Medication errors are preventable events that may lead to patient harm and can occur at any point in the medication-use process. These errors may be related to professional practice; products or medications used; procedures or processes used; and systems—including prescribing; order communication; product labeling, packaging; nomenclature; compounding; dispensing; distribution; administration; education; and monitoring.
What Makes This Medication Safety Membership Unique?
ISMP is known and respected as the gold standard for medication safety information and has served as a vital force for progress. ISMP's advocacy work alone has resulted in numerous necessary changes in clinical practice, public policy, and drug labeling and packaging. ECRI is a global, independent authority on healthcare technology and safety. Our products and services help the healthcare community to improve quality, reduce cost, and achieve better outcomes across all care settings.
Medication Safety Membership Benefits
The Medication Safety membership is rooted in data and expertise from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)—a global leader in medication safety that has extensive experience in determining system-based causes of medication errors and facilitating change. This membership provides actionable guidance and practical strategies for anyone involved in preventing medication errors or managing risk. Expert research and advice address a wide range of risk factors that could lead to medication errors, including those that occur during care delivery, with high-alert medications, with medication-related technologies, and due to the relationship between risk and safety culture.
ECRI and ISMP, an ECRI affiliate, created a comprehensive subscription-based membership to proactively assist organizations with mitigating medication-error risks. The membership provides actionable guidance and practical strategies for anyone involved in managing risk or medication safety.
Medication Safety membership includes:
- Guidelines and best practices
- Self-assessment questionnaires to evaluate current processes
- In-depth guidance articles with actionable recommendations
- Member questions and answers
- Updates with the latest medication safety-related information
Membership unlocks access to our guidance, self-assessments, and member Q&A, in the following areas, for example:
- Chemotherapy
- Intravenous push medications
- Medication administration
- Risk identification
- Communicating medication orders
- Vaccine errors
- Look-alike and/or sound-alike medication name mix-ups
- High-alert medications
- Culture of safety
- Risk identification