Identify barriers to providing injectable medications in the most ready-to-administer (RTA) form possible.
Start New Assessment
The tool is composed of four modules designed to help hospitals in assessing the challenges and barriers and prioritizing and developing corrective action plans to improve the safety of injectable medications.
What’s at Stake
Errors associated with injectable medications are more likely to result in death and morbidity than medications given through other routes of administration.
Because the risk of error exists not only in administration, but also in preparation and manipulation of medications, The Joint Commission Medication Management standards direct that medications be dispensed in the most ready-to-administer (RTA) form as possible.
Even with that goal in mind, the reality is that there are often barriers.
This tool has been designed to identify those barriers in order to tailor performance improvement efforts and achieve the goal of dispensing medications in the most ready-to-administer (RTA) form possible.
HOW TO USE THIS TOOL
This tracer activity includes targeted questions and observations for practices in the hospital pharmacy, nursing units (for example, medical/surgical, telemetry, critical care), emergency department, operating rooms, and procedural areas supported by anesthesia providers (for example, interventional radiology, gastroenterology procedures areas, cardiac catheterization procedure areas, ambulatory surgery, obstetrical operating rooms).
In order to thoroughly assess injectable medication practices, the tracers should be conducted on multiple nursing units, operating rooms, and procedural areas to help identify patterns, trends, and variations in practices with injectable medications throughout the organization. Each set of observations should take approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
Set a Baseline
This assessment utilizes tracer methodology which relies on observation, document review, and interviews to understand the current state of practices and identify opportunities for improvement.
Make an Action Plan
Using insights gained from your assessments, outline steps your hospital can take towards providing injectable medications in the most ready-to-administer forms possible.
Track Progress
Many injectable medication practices change over time for varying reasons, including medication shortages. Therefore, use this tool periodically to reassess injectable medication processes.
Digital Tool
- An assessment tracer tool that will help you identify areas of improvement for the safety of injectable medications in overall Patient Safety and Regulatory Compliance, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Anesthesia.
- Automated reminders
- Digital collaboration and contributor management
- Progress tracking and comparison tools
Print Tool
- An assessment tracer tool that will help you identify areas of improvement for the safety of injectable medications in overall Patient Safety and Regulatory Compliance, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Anesthesia.
- Automated reminders
- Digital collaboration and contributor management
- Progress tracking and comparison tools