Health Alerts

Latest Guidelines

Patient Safety Goals

1. Identify Patients Correctly
   
   Improper or inadequate patient identification is a leading cause of adverse events.
   
   At least two patient identifiers must be used to ensure that the right person receiving the intended care, treatment, and service, when:
   • Administering medication or blood products.
   • Taking blood samples or other specimens for clinical testing.
   • Providing any other treatments or procedures.

The identifiers are:

• Patient’s name with NRIC/Passport number, and
• An assigned identification number (MRN or Case number)

2. Improve Effective Communication
   
   When receiving a verbal order or providing clinical information over the telephone, ensure that the order or information is understood clearly.
   
   
3. Improving The Safety Of High-Alert Medications

Look-alike, Sound-alike and High Concentration Drugs

Reduce the risk of medication errors by:

• Segregating and minimising the quantity of concentrated electrolytes (eg potassium chloride) in the wards;
• Standardising the limit and number of drug concentration available in the organisation; and
• Segregate look-alike and sound-alike drugs in the unit.

 

To reduce look-alike/sound-alike drug misunderstandings, you must:

• Write legibly and speak clearly when communicating medication information.
• Get the Listener to read back the w