medication safety

Question 1

example

Answer 1

vinca alkaloids

Question 2

vinca alkaloids used in what regiments

Answer 2

in various cancer chemotherapy regiments

Question 3

vinca alkaloids what route in in combo with what

Answer 3

intravenously, often in combination with intrathecal methotrexate

Question 4

why is vinca alkaloids route key

Answer 4

Administration of intravenous vinca alkaloids via the intrathecal route is almost always fatal
In the UK and many other countries, guidance and protocols have been issued that specify the exact processes required for the administration of intravenous vincristine (and other vinca alkaloids) in patients also receiving intrathecal chemotherapy

Question 5

UK intrathecal guidance Includes: (5)

Answer 5

• Designated centres
• Local register
• Intrathecal (IT) medication prescribed on separate prescription / audit trail
• IT and IV chemotherapy separated in TIME and LOCATION, and in appearance
• Administration checks

Question 6

What can go wrong?

Answer 6

• Standard operating procedures and guidelines
• Ensuring up to date training
• Communication
• Medication safety
• Patient engagement

Question 7

Iatrogenic harm meaning

Answer 7

harm due to healthcare

Question 8

Adverse drug events meaning

Answer 8

harm due to medication

Question 9

Adverse drug reactions

Answer 9

undesirable consequences of medication – often not preventable

Question 10

Medication errors

Answer 10

preventable events that may, or actually, result in patient harm

Question 11

what 3 things in pharmacy does medicine safety teach us about

Answer 11

1. Drug design and formulation
2. Designing systems and procedures
3. Patient involvement

Question 12

Drug design and formulation q’s

Answer 12

– How can we make products easier to use?
– How can we “make it easy to do the right
thing?”
* Packaging and labelling
– How can we make it easier to distinguish
different products?
– How can we label products clearly?

Question 13

Designing systems and procedures

Answer 13

– Safe
– Practical – avoiding temptation to develop
workarounds
* Communication skills
– Healthcare professionals
– Patients
– Written and verbal information

Question 14

Patient involvement

Answer 14

– How can we best involve patients and carers
as active partners?
* Pharmacovigilance and error reporting
– Knowing how to report incidents to allow
others to learn from them
* Learning from incidents
– How can we learn from the past?