Adopted June 29, 1999

1.  The Council recommends that any order that is incomplete, illegible, or of any other concern should be clarified prior to administration using an established process for resolving questions.

2.  The Council recommends that as one aspect of the overall medication use system, the following checks be performed immediately prior to medication administration: the right medication, in the right dose, to the right person, by the right route, at the right time.

3.  The Council recommends that users of medication administration devices be knowledgeable about the device function and limitations.

4.  The Council recommends that when electronic infusion control devices are employed, only those that prevent free-flow upon removal of the administration set should be used.

5.  The Council encourages the use of linked automated systems (e.g., direct order entry, computerized medication administration record, bar coding) to facilitate review of prescriptions, increase the accuracy of administration, and reduce transcription errors.

6.  The Council recommends that all persons who administer medications have adequate access to patient information, as close to the point of use as possible, including medical history, known allergies, prognosis, and treatment plan, to assess the appropriateness of administering the medication.

7.  The Council recommends that all persons who administer medications have easily accessible product information as close to the point of use as possible, and are:

•  Knowledgeable about indications for use of the medication as well as precautions and contraindications;

•  Knowledgeable of the expected outcome from its use;

•  Knowledgeable about potential adverse reactions and interactions with food or other medication;

•  Knowledgeable of actions to take when adverse reactions or interactions occur; and,

•  Knowledgeable about storage requirements.

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