Spell Check

1
Spell Check
Gotta love it !!!
2
Look-Alike, Sound-Alike Medications (LASA) New
MUSC Policy C148

• Maureen Sheakley, Pharm D
• Medication Safety Coordinator
• Pharmacy Services

3
Joint Commissions National Patient Safety Goals
Goal 3. Improve the Safety ofUsing Medications

• Requirement 3c
• ? Identify and, at a minimum, annually review a
  list of look- alike/sound-alike drugs used in the
  organization.
• ? Take action to prevent errors involving the
  interchange of these drugs.

4
Look-alike, Sound-alike (LASA) MedicationsMUSC
C148

• Definition
• Annual review by Medication Safety and
  Improvement Committee (MSIC) strategies
• Dissemination Staff meetings, Roll Out Committee
  and PT newsletter
• In CATTS
• Policy URL http//www.musc.edu/medcenter/policy/
  Med/C148.pdf
• Chart location in policy and on JC website
  http//www.musc.edu/medcenter/JCAHO/source/MUSC20
  LASA20poster.pdf

5
Definition

• Look-alike, sound-alike medications (LASA) may
  include
• Medications with names that are similar in print
  or when manually handwritten.
• Medications with names that sound similar when
  spoken.
• Medications that include packaging that is
  similar in characteristics (printing the same
  color and size, for example).
• Medications that are available in similar dosage
  forms, strengths, concentrations, etc.
• Any medication or combination of medications that
  afford the opportunity to be confused with one
  another.

6
Annual review

• On an annual basis, the MSIC will review the list
  of LASA drugs and revise the current list as
  necessary using the following resources
• 1. EXTERNAL
• a. Joint Commissions list of LASA.
• b. ISMP newsletters.
• c. USP alerts.
• 2. INTERNAL
• a. Patient Safety Net (PSN) reports.
• b. Reports from staff on problematic medications.

7
MUSC Look alike, sound-alike medications Policy
C148
CHEMOTHERAPY CARBOplatin
CISplatin PACLItaxel DOCEtaxel vinCRIStine
vinBLAStine Conventionals Liposomals (paclitaxel
, doxorubicin, daunorubicin, cytarabine) DACTINOmy
cin- DAUNOrubicin DOXOrubicin - DAUNOrubicin
INSULINS Novolin R Novolin NPH Novolog
MIX 70/30 Novolog (aspart) Lantus
(glargine) Humulin R U-500 Humulin 50/50
(NF) Novolin 70/30 (NF) Humalog MIX 75/25
(NF) Humalog (lispro)(NF)
AMPHOTERICINS Conventional (Fungizone or
Amphocin) Cholesteryl sulfate complex
(Amphotec) Liposomal (Ambisome) Lipid
complex (Abelcet)
NARCOTICS morphINE HYDROmorphONE morphIN
E Conventional vs concentrated HYDROcodone
OXYcodone MS Contin - Oxycontin
MUSC Look alike, sound-alike medications
MUSC Look alike, sound-alike medications
LaMIVUdine - LaMOTRIgine
Wellbutrin XL Wellbutrin SR
hydrALAzine - hydrOXYzine
Example of STRATEGIES for Look-alike, sound-alike
medications 1) Tall man lettering (preprinted
forms, computerized screens, medication
labels) 2) Storage segregation (Pharmacies and
Acudose) 3) Alert stickers (Pharmacies and
Acudose) 4) Acudose labeling of pockets 5) Staff
should be aware of the differences between
conventional and lipid-based formulations for
these drugs (chemo and amphotericins).
June07
MUSC Look alike, sound-alike medications
8
MUSC 2007 Look-alike/Sound-alike Medications List
The table below lists the Look-alike,
Sound-alike (LASA) medications that have been
chosen at MUSC and strategies that may be used
in preventing errors due to mix-ups. (See MUSC
Policy C148 for more information).
9
QUESTIONS ???
10
QUESTIONS??