![take as needed abbreviation take as needed abbreviation](https://innerstrength.zone/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/KQ4pTzgI7mWv8d50JyTQ.jpg)
Phase 2: Evaluating an Alternative Labelling StrategyĪ total of 68 nursing staff members (RNs, LPNs, and student nurses) participated in phase 2 of the study. Each participant was shown only 1 of the 3 versions. Would it be appropriate to administer the medication illustrated in the lower picture based on the information highlighted in the picture above?” Three combinations of screen shot and medication label were created, differing only in the presentation of the drug name in the electronic medication administration record and on the medication label (see Table 1 for a summary of the differences and see Appendices 1, 2, and 3, available online at for the appearance of the test materials). The following instructions were provided: “The upper picture displays an order for oxycodone. This pairing represents a mismatch between the drug order (short-acting) and the medication supplied (long-acting).
![take as needed abbreviation take as needed abbreviation](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/2b/a1/cd/2ba1cdaac3235b6f023a7dd4d20a6353--homeschool-esl-lessons.jpg)
To further elucidate these issues, this study compared comprehension rates for abbreviations for commonly used short- and long-acting medications and examined whether alternative labelling strategies would make medication administration safer.Įach participant was shown a screen shot from an electronic medication administration record, with an order for oxycodone 5 mg circled in red, along with a photograph of an oxycodone CR 5-mg blister pack. Little is known about the efficacy of these recommendations or whether certain abbreviations are more intuitive than others. 10 Avoiding the use of potentially confusing abbreviations and spelling out the release rate (e.g., “CONTROLLED RELEASE”) are among the many frequently suggested recommendations to reduce confusion. 8, 9 The lack of standardized abbreviations, communication of drug names without suffixes, use of similar packaging, overlap in dosages between products with different designations, and adjacent storage of products with the same product name but different designations have been identified as contributing factors. 3 Numerous reports of confusion between short- and long-acting medications have been published by the ISMP (US) 4 – 7 and by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada (ISMP Canada). 2 Unfortunately, the FDA still offers no guidance to pharmaceutical companies regarding appropriate denotations of drug release rates. In 1989, the US Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) attempted to convince the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the need to standardize these drug name suffixes. 1Ĭonfusion about short- and long-acting medications is not new. In an analysis of medication pairs in which the wrong drug was administered, oxycodone (short-acting) and oxycodone CR (long-acting) constituted the third most frequent pair. Commonly used abbreviations include CR for “controlled release”, SR for “sustained release”, ER for “extended release”, and IR for “immediate release”. Pharmaceutical companies use a variety of abbreviations to denote short- and long-acting medications.