ISMP Canada Safety Bulletins

Electronic Prescribing in Primary Care: Effects on Medication Safety

This bulletin explores the effects of electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) on medication safety. Some key medication safety benefits are an improvement in prescription communication, support for opioid safety strategies, support for better medication adherence and patient engagement through online patient-facing applications. However, there may also be an unintended introduction of risk, through prescription modifications missed by the system, loss of prescription bundling, confusing free-text entries, and reduced patient engagement.

• Canada’s National Incident Data Repository for Community Pharmacies
• Have Unused Medications Overstayed Their Welcome?

Do Not Use a Syringe for a Topical Product – A Focus on Chlorhexidine Disinfectant Solutions

This bulletin provides recommendations to eliminate the unacceptable practice of using syringes for topical products.

• Updated: ISMP (US) List of High-Alert Medications in Acute Care Settings
• You Asked Us: “Should I Change My Pharmacy after a Mistake?”

Design of eMAR Systems with End-Users in Mind: Learning from a Fatal Incident in Long-Term Care

Recommendations to improve usability of the eMAR are made to LTC homes, as well as the medication system software vendors and pharmacies supporting them.

Injecting Standardization into Vaccine Clinics

This bulletin shares learnings from a multi-incident analysis (MIA) and recent failure modes and effects analysis to help inform safe medication practices in vaccine clinics.

• Help Improve Medication Safety Across Canada
• Keep Your Medications Organized

Antidotes and Related Agents: Recognition of Need, Availability, and Effective Use

This bulletin highlights 3 key vulnerabilities that compromise the safety and efficacy of antidotes and suggests strategies for healthcare organizations to overcome these challenges.

• Do NOT Delay Starting Certain Medications

Safe Storage and Disposal of Medications

This bulletin, created in partnership with the Canadian Patient Safety Institute offers guidance to clinicians and patients on the safe storage and disposal of medications in the community.

• Safety Concerns Resulting from a Concentrated Potassium Chloride Shortage in the United States
• Canada’s National Incident Data Repository for Community Pharmacies
• Using Your Own Medications While in Hospital

Reaffirming the “Do Not Use: Dangerous Abbreviations, Symbols and Dose Designations” List

This bulletin presents ISMP Canada’s analysis and decision to reaffirm the Do Not Use: Dangerous Abbreviations, Symbols and Dose Designations List.

- Archived 2018 Do Not Use list

• Name Change: M-Eslon IR to M-Ediat
• New Symptoms: Could They Be Related to Your Medications?

Deprescribing: Managing Medications to Reduce Polypharmacy

This bulletin shares a story of deprescribing, from the clinical considerations identified by the practitioner to the life-changing outcome, as described by the individual involved.

𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗿𝘀:
- Opioids for Pain After Surgery—Patient Handout
- Don't Be Embarrassed to Talk to Your Pharmacist

Students Have a Key Role in a Culture of Safety: A Multi-Incident Analysis of Student-Associated Medication Incidents

This multi-incident analysis (MIA) was undertaken to address the lack of evidence surrounding the impact of students on medication safety. The MIA looked at student-associated medication incidents from 3 ISMP Canada databases and the National System for Incident Reporting (NSIR). The themes identified were (1) Identification, Resolution, and Reporting of Incidents by Students, (2) Preceptor-Associated Challenges, and (3) Gaps in Organizational Processes.

• Substitution Error in a Naloxone Kit
• Save a Life—Get a Naloxone Kit to Treat an Opioid Overdose

Death Associated with an IV Compounding Error and Management of Care in a Naturopathic Centre

This bulletin follows an incident reported to ISMP Canada of a cancer patient receiving a fatally high dose of selenium as part of an intravenous complex tissue- and wound-healing formulation at a complementary care center (CCC).

• Caution: Unlabelled Marking on a Vaccine Syringe Led to Under-dosing of Adult Patients