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J. Med. Toxicol. (2015) 11:262264 DOI 10.1007/s13181-015-0475-y
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The Institute for Safe Medication Practices and Poison Control Centers: Collaborating to Prevent Medication Errorsand Unintentional Poisonings
Allen J. Vaida1
Published online: 4 April 2015# American College of Medical Toxicology 2015
Abstract This article provides an overview on the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), the only independent nonprofit organization in the USA devoted to the prevention of medication errors. ISMP developed the national Medication Errors Reporting Program (MERP) and investigates and analyzes errors in order to formulate recommendations to prevent further occurrences. ISMP works closely with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), drug manufacturers, professional organizations, and others to promote changes in package design, practice standards, and healthcare practitioner and consumer education. By collaborating with ISMP to share and disseminate information, Poison Control centers, emergency departments, and toxicologists can help decrease unintentional and accidental poisonings.
Keywords Medication error . Poisoning . Poison control centers . Patient safety
Background
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), based in suburban Philadelphia, is the only independent 501c (3) nonprofit organization devoted entirely to medication error prevention and safe medication use. The medication error prevention efforts were initiated in 1975 with a column in Hospital Pharmacy to improve understanding and educate healthcare professionals and others about medication error prevention. ISMP has an interdisciplinary staff of healthcare professionals including nurses, pharmacists, physicians, and trainees to fulfill this mission. In 2014, ISMP celebrated its 20th anniversary as a nonprofit organization [1].
The initiatives of ISMP, built upon a non-punitive approach and system-based solutions, fall into five key areas: knowledge, analysis, education, cooperation, and communication. The cornerstone of ISMP is based on voluntary practitioner error reports through the national Medication Errors Reporting Program (MERP).
From this error reporting program, on site consulting work, and other collaborative efforts, as well as interactions with healthcare professionals, organizations and consumers, ISMP catalogues errors occurring in multiple settings and identifies potential contributing factors and disseminates recommendations within the healthcare community. ISMP publishes five BISMP Medication Safety Alert!^ newsletters for healthcare professionals and consumers that reach over one million readers. These publications include a newsletter focused on acute care hospitals published twice a month; three monthly publications for nurses, community/ambulatory settings, and long term care; and...