Table 1.

Synthesis of recommendations for limiting adverse drug events

Detailed information on drugs must be available immediately and easily

Train and inform staff about any non-equivalent formulations sharing the same International Non-proprietary Name, and plan for labelling them differently or flagging them in some other way

Doubt never benefits the patient. Before prescribing, dispensing or administering a drug that raises doubt or is unfamiliar, the drug name and dose must be verified

Include ‘technological’ formulations of drugs on your establishment’s high-alert list of medications to watch out for, and perform a careful validation of drug entries when putting in place computerised prescription or dispensing systems

For drugs on the high-alert list, use the complete generic name including excipients, formulation specificities and the brand name at each stage in its use, from prescription to administration, i.e. amphotericin B deoxycholate (Fungizone®) or amphotericin B liposomal (AmBisome®)

When a product is designated as ‘high risk’, explaining the risks associated with that drug makes the message sink home

Prescribe the drug as a dose/kg/day and as a total daily dose

Computer software does not mean that critical monitoring of drug prescriptions no longer needs to be carried out, and pharmacological knowledge is mandatory

With specific regard to amphotericin B deoxycholate (Fungizone®), remember the benchmark dose of 1 mg/kg/day

When amphotericin B must be handled or dispensed outside of a specialised pharmacy, its storage must be subject to an appropriate risk evaluation

Ensure that patients (and their families) take an active part in their treatment safety by teaching them about the drugs that are administered to them