Replacement Heparin causes concerns about medication errors
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
May 21, 2008
After Heparin containers were removed from hospital shelves earlier this year when some were found to be contaminated, there are new fears over the latest replacement containers, reports The Baltimore Sun. The new containers of Heparin are coming from different suppliers, which have packaged the drug differently in terms of strengths and quantities. These changes mean that staff members handling the medication will have to pay extra attention when administering it.
Heparin is a difficult medication to administer on its own, without these new concerns. It is the cheapest and most commonly used type of anticoagulant, says the article. Some hospitals are taking new precautions to prevent any errors, such as warning nurses of the change, and removing syringes so it is impossible to use one that is prefilled.
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