All our medication safety content
All our guidance on antidotes; and safe administration, storage, prescribing and labelling of all medication.
Giving intermittent intravenous infusions by gravity in adults
Safe administration of intravenous injections is paramount. Consideration of the risks associated with different delivery methods is essential.
Medication safety across the system: opioid safety
Discussion of key current medication safety challenges within healthcare with a focus on opioids. We aim to inspire partnership working across the system.
Managing the risks of using effervescent tablets in children
Careful use of effervescent or soluble tablets to deliver part tablet doses for children and neonates can minimise risks of toxicity or suboptimal therapy.
Medication Safety Update
A resource collating the latest medication safety communications and publications to inform, support and inspire medication safety improvements.
Assessment and secure storage for the self-administration of medicines
Suitable medicines must be stored safely and securely in accordance with organisational policy, while still supporting self-administration
Implementation considerations for the self-administration of medicines
Patients under hospital care should be supported to continue self-administering unless there are good reasons why they are unable to
Self-administration of medicines
Self-administering medicines in hospital can benefit patients and organisations alike and should be encouraged wherever it is safe to do
Accessing resources for patients on high risk medicines
A number of resources are available to support the safe use of high-risk medicines. Healthcare professionals should ensure they are available for their patients
Establishing alerts for temperature monitoring systems
Systems that alert staff to an excursion allows for a rapid response and will minimise the time the medicine is outside of its recommended storage conditions
Preventing parenteral nutrition rapid over-infusion in babies
There is a risk of severe harm or death if PN is unintentionally infused too rapidly in babies. Healthcare professionals need to ensure safe practice.
Reversing an adult opioid overdose with naloxone in the medical setting
A patient safety alert highlighted the risks of giving inappropriate doses of naloxone. This page guides on using appropriate intravenous doses.
Using intravenous paracetamol preparations safely in paediatrics
Safety risks and mitigation strategies are described to reduce the risk of errors with intravenous paracetamol in neonates, infants, and children.
Safety considerations when using Vitamin D
Healthcare professionals who use vitamin D should be aware of the risks of toxicity and safe practice principles which may prevent patient harm
Metolazone preparation differences and safety considerations
Healthcare professionals involved in the use of metolazone need to be aware of the differences between licensed and unlicensed products to ensure safe care
Worked example of assessing the risk of transcribing
Example where medicines are prescribed by both the patient’s GP and specialist clinicians, and are administered in a patient’s home.
Risk assessing transcribing for administration
Various factors affect the risks associated with using transcribing for medicines administration.
Managing risk when supplying and administering COVID-19 treatments across the system
Differing models exist for the supply and administration of COVID-19 treatments. We guide through the risks and mitigations associated with each.
Using potassium permanganate for skin conditions or wound care
Potassium permanganate is a chemical product. We review the evidence for using it in wound care and highlight the risk of severe harm associated with wrong use.
Understanding safety risks with betamethasone soluble tablets used as mouthwash
Serious side effects can be caused if betamethasone soluble tablets used as mouthwash are swallowed. Providing clear patient directions can help prevent harm
Quality Improvement Alert - Cold Chain Management of COVID-19 Vaccines
An SPS quality improvement alert to highlight the requirements for safe and effective cold storage of COVID-19 vaccines
Including medicines with Risk Minimisation Measures (RMM) in PGDs
This article reflects MHRA guidance on the use of PGDs for medications which have risk minimisation measures (RMM).
Good governance guidance when handling multiple COVID-19 vaccines
Practice points to ensure good governance when planning or designing vaccination services where multiple vaccines are used.
Safe practice for handling multiple COVID-19 vaccines
A number of COVID-19 vaccines are available, all with different handling and dosing requirements; sites need to plan to reduce the risk of errors
Off-label or unlicensed product use under HMR 2012 exemptions
The below summary details the legal position regarding the sale, supply or administration of off-label/unlicensed products under Schedule 17 of the HMR 2012
Multiple Use of Injectable Medicines in Clinical Areas V 02 February 2020
This document is intended for multi-professional clinical practitioners to use as a reference and source of information for the prescribing, reconstituting or administering injectable medicines.…
National Homecare Medicines Committee (NHMC) Homecare Risk Assessment
To support organisations in establishing a robust risk assessment process for new homecare medicines services the NHMC has developed a tool for local use. …
Guidance on Handling of Injectable Cytotoxic Drugs in Clinical Areas in in NHS Hospitals in the UK (Yellow Cover) Edition 1 July 2018
Intended audience: This document is intended as a reference and source of information to the following audiences: Nursing staff who handle cytotoxic chemotherapy (Oncology /…
Product Risk Assessment Tools
Product risk assessment tools to support NHS organisations to identify risk resultant from medicinal product presentation.