Subject: AAEECE Worldwide Patient Safety Initiative (WPSI) ) to Address Look-Alike Sound-Alike (LASA) Eye and Ear Related Medication Errors : Medication Errors/Incidents SURVEY Involving LASA Eye and Ear Medications
*MORE OUTCOME DATA RE: MED ERRORS NEEDED*
UPDATED 4/26/12 See responses below:
Dear Friends, Colleagues and Supporting Organizations,
Please assist the AAEECE Worldwide Patient Safety Initiative (WPSI) to Address Look-Alike Sound-Alike (LASA) Eye and Ear Related Medication Errors by completing our new short survey that will allow us to collect data on LASA medication errors directly from our supporting members which include healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses, pharmacists, technicians, etc.) and patients. Just click on the following link which will bring you directly to our survey titled “AAEECE WPSI Survey: Medication Errors/Incidents Involving LASA Eye and Ear Medications” located on Surveymonkey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7FVF5T7 . This 8 question multiple choice survey may take approximately 3 minutes or less. Please be specific when answering the 2 free text questions that pertain to the name(s) of the product(s) and the description and outcomes of the medication error/incident itself.
It is our intention to share this anonymous data with our supporting organizations, physician organizations, pharmaceutical manufacturers of ophthalmic and otic products, and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to highlight the affects of these LASA errors in different healthcare settings and in patient homes. You may learn more about the Worldwide Patient Safety Initiative and what has been accomplished thus far with your assistance by clicking on the following link *E-Petition News Link*: http://www.nyee.edu/lasa-e-petition-updates.html . We thank you for your time, your valuable feedback, and your ongoing support in addressing LASA eye and ear medication errors that affect our patients and healthcare colleagues alike worldwide.
**NEWS**
Here are some of your survey responses regarding LASA drug name pairs:
tobramycin eye drop vs. ear drop vs. tobradex.
Xalatan and Xalacom (LASA) Cusimolol and Xalacom (LASA) Synalar ótico and Sunalar nasal (administration)
cortisporin (generic) otic susp used for ophth solution
OFLOXACIN OPHTHALMIC SOLUTION VS OTIC SOUTION 5 ML.
naural tears&isoptocarpine e/d
otoflox 0.3% and optoflox..0.3% sante pvt limited karachi..sindh pakistan..(ofloxacin 0.3% generic)
OFLOXACIN 3MG/ML 5ML EAR and Eye DROPS
TROPICAMIDE OPTHALMIC SOLUTION 1% (15ML) CYCLOPENTOLE OPTHALMIC SOLUTION 1% (15)ML
Ofloxacin OPHTHALMIC was prescribed and Ofloxacin OTIC was dispensed.
retisert 0.59mg implant and vitrasert 4.5mg implants (both Bausch & Lomb products)
Cipro Otic dispensed in error instead of Cipro eye drops
Timolol at different concentrations Xalatan and Xalacom
timolol hemihydrate (Betimol 0.5% confused with timolol maleate 0.5%
atropine eye drops were confused with atropine eye ointment
brimonidine 0.2% and brimonidine 0.15% falcon
CORTISPORIN OTIC AND CORTISPORIN OPTHALMIC. DOCTORS WILL ORDER THE OPTHALMIC TO BE USED IN EAR AND THAT'S OK, BUT CONFUSING TO NURSES WHO MAY THINK OTIC CAN BE USED IN EYES - BUT IT CANNOT BECAUSE IT CONTAINS ALCOHOL (OR SO I'M TOLD)
cyclosporin vs cyclopentolate trusopt vs cosopt
Hope you found them informational!!!
Please send the survey description above to your healthcare practioner colleagues so we can collect a large sample of responses from colleagues and supporters throughout the world.
Thank you again.
Sponsored by The American Association of Eye and Ear Centers of Excellence (AAEECE), formerly The American Association of Eye and Ear Hospitals (AAEEH)
*Supported by:
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)
American Society of Ophthalmic Registered Nurses (ASORN)
The American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
PA State Nurses Association (PSNA)
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
The World Association of Eye Hospitals (WAEH)
The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)
The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN)
European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP)