A medication dosage simulation strategy to improve patient safety
Simulation boosts skills and encourages active learning. Takeaways: Traditional medication administration dosage testing can be time-consuming, costly, and lack elements…
medications
Advocating for patients in an era of drug-delivery problems
Learn what steps you can take to help patients avoid drug contamination and cope with drug shortages.
Boys more likely than girls to receive antipsychotic medication prescriptions
Boys are more likely than girls to receive a prescription for antipsychotic medication regardless of age, according to a study…
Drug shortages unprecedented says ISMP
The July 29 issue of the Institute for Safe Medication Practice’s ISMP Medication Safety Alert! states that the number of…
Drugs Today – July 2008
An update of drug news, including alerts, approvals, and removals.
Drugs Today – November 2008
Web Exclusive! An update of drug news, including alerts, approvals, and removals at www.AmericanNurseToday.com/journal.
Eliminating copayments improves medication adherence
When Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina eliminated generic medication copayments and reduced copayments for brand-name medications, adherence to…
Emergency cardiac drugs: Essential facts for med-surg nurses
In the hospital setting, emergencies typically occur in emergency departments (EDs) and intensive care units (ICUs). But many also take…
FDA announces plans to evaluate use of opioids for treating cough in children
On Aug. 21, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that an upcoming meeting of the pediatric advisory committee…
FDA publishes standards for presenting information on using medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding
On Dec. 3, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a final rule that sets standards for how information…
High-alert drugs: Strategies for safe I.V. infusions
About 80% of all deaths from medication errors are caused by some 20 drugs. This article gives you evidence-based strategies for preventing errors with these deadly drugs.
IOM releases report on accelerating new drug and diagnostics development
On Aug. 22, the Institute of Medicine released “Accelerating the development of new drugs and diagnostics: Maximizing the impact of…
ISMP issues guidelines for standard order sets
Access guidelines, developed by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, for standard order sets here.
Medication adherence pays prompts lower healthcare costs
A study in Health Affairs found that the increased pharmacy costs associated by medication adherence was offset by a substantial…
Medication adherence report gives U.S. C+
“2013 Medication Adherence in America: A National Report 2013” gives people in the U.S. with chronic medical conditions a C+…
New capsule has potential to replace some injections
Researchers at MIT and Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a drug capsule coated with tiny needles that can inject drugs…
New vial labeling standards released
The U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention has announced new standardized labeling requirements for injectable medication vials. Manufacturers can only put cautionary statements…
NIH plans new center for promoting drug development
A National Institute of Health (NIH) advisory board has approved the creation of National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, a…
No drugs down the drain
You can use the questions and answers below when teaching patients about proper medication disposal. Question: Why should I clean…
One-quarter of patients change drug regimne 3 months after stroke
According to a report in the Archives of Neurology, one-quarter of stroke patients stopped taking one or more of their…
Protect patients from I.V. infiltration
An expert explains best practices for preventing, detecting, and managing this dangerous complication of I.V. therapy.
Six hot drugs for today and beyond
What you need to know about six high-impact drugs.
Six more hot drugs for today and beyond
These six drug profiles, along with the six in the March issue of American Nurse Today, bring you up to date on significant advances in drug therapy.
Strategies for time-sensitive medications
An evidence-based project improved medication administration timeliness. Takeaways: Timely administration of time-sensitive medications (within 30 minutes before or after the…
Study shows geographic variation in prescribing patterns
A New England Journal of Medicine study of Medicare patients found that prescribing patterns varied by hospital-referral region. For example,…
Take Note – October 2006
CDC recommends annual flu shots for children ages 2 to 4 For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control…
USP compounding standards: Prepare with care
Know the current standards. IF YOU PREPARE medications to meet unique patient needs, stop and ensure you are up to…
When medication regulations collide with common sense
The original five rights of medication administration are a time-honored lesson all nurses learn—the right patient, right medication, right dose,…
