ISMP Look-Alike Sound-Alike Drug Names

Question 1

ISMP defines 'look-alike/sound-alike' (LASA) drug pairs as medications that:

Accepted Answer

Have names or packaging that can be confused with one another

Answer

Have the same mechanism of action

Answer

Are manufactured by the same company

Answer

Treat the same disease

Question 2

Which ISMP-recommended strategy most directly prevents confusion between DOBUTamine and DOPamine?

Accepted Answer

Use tall man lettering to highlight the different portions of each name

Answer

Store them in the same drawer

Answer

Abbreviate both as 'D'

Answer

Use verbal orders only

Question 3

ISMP recommends that LASA drug pairs stored in pharmacies be:

Accepted Answer

Stored in separate locations with auxiliary warning labels

Answer

Stored alphabetically next to each other

Answer

Stored unlabeled to reduce clutter

Answer

Given identical packaging for consistency

Question 4

Which pair is a classic ISMP LASA example involving look-alike packaging as well as name similarity?

Accepted Answer

Hydroxyzine and Hydralazine

Answer

Aspirin and Tylenol

Answer

Vitamin C and Vitamin D

Answer

Saline and sterile water

Question 5

Which technology does ISMP recommend to help pharmacists detect LASA errors during order processing?

Accepted Answer

Clinical decision support alerts in pharmacy information systems

Answer

Manual paper logs

Answer

Color-coded pill boxes

Answer

Visual inspection only

Question 6

According to ISMP, a key strategy for reducing LASA errors at the nursing unit level is to:

Accepted Answer

Include the drug indication on the medication administration record

Answer

Remove all drug labels from packaging

Answer

Have nurses memorize all LASA pairs

Answer

Use only verbal communication for drug names