Risk of Medication Errors Due to Similar Drug Packaging

Debated in Parliament on 6 Oct 2020.

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The Minister for Health acknowledged that public health institutions and procurement agencies assess risks from look-alike drug packaging and changes in syrup concentrations during medication procurement and supply chain disruptions.
A multi-pronged approach is used, including evaluating packaging similarity with suppliers, educating healthcare staff on changes, and using distinguishing labels, colours, and storage separation to prevent errors.
Additional safeguards involve counter-checks in wards for medication preparation and administration, as well as affixing multilingual stickers and verbal reminders to patients about packaging or dosage changes.

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Full Transcript

Tan Wu Meng

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Health whether the risk of medication errors is assessed in the procurement of medications in public care institutions such as (i) lookalike packaging where different drugs have similar containers or packages and (ii) changes in drug concentration of syrups that may confuse patients and care-givers especially when medications are administered in the home.

Gan Kim Yong

The public health institutions (PHIs) and Agency for Logistics and Procurement Services (ALPS) are mindful of the risk of medication errors when medications that have similar appearing containers or packaging are dispensed or administered. Look-alike medications may lead to different drugs or different doses of drugs being administered to patients, with potentially severe consequences.

Special care is taken when there are changes to the brands or strengths and these may occur when new drugs (or new generic drugs) become available, or when alternative drugs are needed due to manufacturing or supply-chain disruptions.

A multi-pronged approach is adopted to mitigate medication errors and this starts with the procurement process whereby similar appearing containers or packaging of medications are evaluated and suppliers are approached when improvements are required for better differentiation from other products.

PHIs educate pharmacy staff, doctors and nurses dealing with such medications on the changes in appearance or dosage, and how to mitigate the risk for errors. Distinguishing symbols, colours or fonts are used when labelling the medications and the storage areas to highlight the differences in description of the medications.

When the medications are stored in the pharmacies and wards, different drugs with similar appearances are stored separately in different locations to reduce the risk of selecting the wrong drug. In the wards, a process of counter-checks has been introduced to verify that the correct medication has been selected during the preparation of the medications and during administration.

Finally, when dispensing the medications to patients, PHIs affix "packaging or dose change" stickers in various languages on the dispensing packs. Pharmacy staff also remind patients to pay attention to any changes to brands and/or strengths of products.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The Minister for Health acknowledged that public health institutions and procurement agencies assess risks from look-alike drug packaging and changes in syrup concentrations during medication procurement and supply chain disruptions.
A multi-pronged approach is used, including evaluating packaging similarity with suppliers, educating healthcare staff on changes, and using distinguishing labels, colours, and storage separation to prevent errors.
Additional safeguards involve counter-checks in wards for medication preparation and administration, as well as affixing multilingual stickers and verbal reminders to patients about packaging or dosage changes.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Risk of Medication Errors Due to Similar Drug Packaging | PAPERCUTS

Risk of Medication Errors Due to Similar Drug Packaging

Debated in Parliament on 6 Oct 2020.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The Minister for Health acknowledged that public health institutions and procurement agencies assess risks from look-alike drug packaging and changes in syrup concentrations during medication procurement and supply chain disruptions.
A multi-pronged approach is used, including evaluating packaging similarity with suppliers, educating healthcare staff on changes, and using distinguishing labels, colours, and storage separation to prevent errors.
Additional safeguards involve counter-checks in wards for medication preparation and administration, as well as affixing multilingual stickers and verbal reminders to patients about packaging or dosage changes.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Full Transcript

Tan Wu Meng

Gan Kim Yong

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The Minister for Health acknowledged that public health institutions and procurement agencies assess risks from look-alike drug packaging and changes in syrup concentrations during medication procurement and supply chain disruptions.
A multi-pronged approach is used, including evaluating packaging similarity with suppliers, educating healthcare staff on changes, and using distinguishing labels, colours, and storage separation to prevent errors.
Additional safeguards involve counter-checks in wards for medication preparation and administration, as well as affixing multilingual stickers and verbal reminders to patients about packaging or dosage changes.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Risk of Medication Errors Due to Similar Drug Packaging

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Tan Wu Meng

Gan Kim Yong

Summary

Questions Identified

Risk of Medication Errors Due to Similar Drug Packaging

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Tan Wu Meng

Gan Kim Yong

Summary

Questions Identified