There was a lack of understanding that all injectable medicines required a double check within the trust. A medication error can be defined as any dose of medicine that is deviated from a patients’; current medication timing, documentation, preparation and administration.1 The aim was to ensure that local policy
on administration of injectable was adhered too. Objectives were to audit a representative sample of drug charts across the Trust to identify whether nurses are correctly documenting injectable medicines in accordance to the trust medicines policy. To observe a representative sample of injectable administration of medicines and to analyse a representative sample of questionnaires to gain an insight into whether nurses are fully aware of the correct procedures and guidelines. Standards include: 1) One hundred per cent of nurses administering injectable medicines buy Ponatinib will administer within an hour of prescribed time; confirm patient identity, patient allergy status
and check expiry date of drug before administration. Criteria from the medicines management policy was used to design the data MK 1775 collection form. The form was used to check whether two signatures were present against injectable medicines and to observe the administration of injectable medicines. The form was piloted and amended. Data was collected during the day over a two week period in October 2013. A sample of observations across all specialities on 26 wards was completed over a two week period. The observer not prearranged a time
to conduct the observations wherever there was an opportunity and the nurses being observed were aware of the audit. Nurses were asked to vocalise their methods during observations. Ethics approval was not required for this audit; however consent was obtained before all observations. Five hundred sixty-four injectable medicines were documented and 79% (n = 446) contained two signatures. 26 observations were undertaken. A random sample of 41 questionnaires were completed by nurses. Standard 1 and 3 did not meet the 100% target. However standard 2 did meet the target of 100%. Fifty-four per cent (n = 14) of nurses checked the allergy status of the patient before administering an injectable medicine. This is a concern as several antibiotics that were observed being administered contained penicillin; therefore without checking patients’; allergy status; there is an increased risk of patients’; being administered a drug they are allergic to. Fifteen per cent (n = 4) of nurses left syringes containing injectable medicine unattended at patient bedsides. Unattended medicines should be safely locked away when not in use. Only 8% (n = 3) of second checking nurses across the Trust signed the drug chart after the administration of an injectable medicine with the majority singing the chart before the medicine had been administered From the documentation results, the 1800 hr drug round had the lowest number of double signatures.