Joint recommendations on the labelling of parenteral preparations
Background
Mistakes in the assembling and dispensing of medicines in hospitals put patient safety at risk. Mistaking one medicine pack for another similar in appearance is one of the most common errors in medication.
The consequences of this can be especially serious when parenteral preparations are involved. The danger of confusion is also particularly great with these preparations because their labels are usually small and provide only a little space for text.
Although there is no substitute for the user reading the pack label with care, standards in the labelling of medicines can make it easier to avoid mistakes.
The named associations of the pharmaceutical industry, in consultation with the Swiss Society of Public Health Administration and Hospital Pharmacists (Gesellschaft schweizerischer Amts- and Spitalapotheker (GSASA)), have made a contribution to traceability and drug safety throughout the supply chain in the form of these recommendations.
