Medication Safety Quality Indicators
Look-alike and sound-alike medications
According to the United States Pharmacopeia, tens of thousands of medications are in use today, and medication errors involving look-alike and sound-alike medications occur regularly.
To reduce the risk of look-alike and sound-alike medication error hospitals can:
- Keep a formulary (list of available medications) and review the medications on it regularly for sound-alike names and look-alike labeling when new medications are to be added.
- Keep medications that are at high risk for being confused with one another in separate locations.
- Use special packaging to alert hospital staff to the potential risk of easily confused medications, as well as to medications that are generally more lethal.
- Use only standardized abbreviations and dose designations.
It may take longer to get medications to patients when additional safety steps are added to the process, so it is important to realize that faster does not always mean better when it comes to safety.
Does UVa take steps to reduce look-alike and sound-alike medication errors?
Yes. UVa pharmacists routinely review medications on the formulary for sound-alike names and look-alike labeling. In addition, pharmacy staff keeps medications that are at high risk for being confused with one another in separate locations, uses special packaging to alert hospital staff to the potential risk of easily confused medications, as well as to medications that are generally more lethal, uses only standardized abbreviations and dose designations, and attaches different color auxiliary labels to point out certain high risk medications.
