Michael J. Gaunt, PharmD

Errors related to extended-release opioids and COVID-19 vaccines warrant attention and should be a priority.

Shoulder injuries are a real concern because some health care workers may be new to administering vaccines.

Pharmacists can learn from previous mistakes to prepare for COVID-19 vaccination campaigns.

Alert practitioners to key strategies to reduce the risk of significant harm to patients.

Reduce the risk of errors with rapid acting–insulins fentanyl patches and weight-based chemotherapy doses.

Manufacturers, pharmacists, and physicians all play a role in ensuring no mix-ups with hydralazine and hydroxyzine.

Despite good intentions, safety concerns abound, including loss of crucial second check by a pharmacist.

Modifications may present challenges when treating pediatric patients or patients with ENFit feeding tubes.

On the Diastat AcuDial delivery system, the prescribed dose will appear in the dose display window, and the locking ring, designated with a green “ready” band, will be engaged.

Drug screening, heart monitoring are critical when using azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine.

Pharmacies must take steps to safeguard prescription delivery and verbal communication during the COVID-19 crisis.

Amid differences in state programs, product labeling improvements must be adopted to protect patients.

Evaluate the systems in place to protect patients from medication confusion and serious, even fatal, harm.

Mandatory, scripted patient education and device demonstrations are vital to avoid harm.

Implementation of critical risk-reduction strategies is needed to prevent continued patient harm.

Keeping animals safe around human medications requires vigilance; Here are 10 tips.

Prescriber confusion regarding decimal point placement with doses expressed in miligrams is not uncommon.

Trying to save time can cause confusion, errors, and potentially harmful delays in treatment.

Test orders to check medication cost and insurance coverage may lead to close calls or improper dispensation.

Pharmacists should not make assumptions about what a veterinarian intended on a prescription.

Lack of availability has led to compromised care, potentially harmful errors, and unsafe practices. Here are strategies for coping with the crisis.

Health care practitioners are repeatedly challenged by unexpected problems due to a variety of system failures that can hinder patient care.

Health care organizations are taking a page out of the books of high-reliability organizations.

Takeaways include ensuring additional supervision, consultation, and continued pharmacy support.

Avoiding Leading Decimal Point Doses and Educating Patients Are Just 2 Safe Practice Recommendations

Be aware of the higher concentration of rabies immune globulin and new units of measure for OTC vitamins A, D, and E.

Direct administration of the concentrated, undiluted solution Is astringent and may numb the mouth and tongue for at least a day.

A practitioner reviewing the home medication list of an elderly patient learned that the patient’s daughter had been giving him 5 tablets of ferrous sulfate daily to equal the 325-mg dose recommended by her father’s physician.

Unsafe injection practices have affected over 150,000 patients since 2001 and have led to more than 50 documented outbreaks of bacterial infections or viral hepatitis, according to the CDC.

Technology-savvy health care professionals are advocating for the use of text messaging to transmit orders and prescriptions.