ISMP Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield ISMP facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. ISMP recommends that insulin be administered using only dedicated insulin syringes or insulin pens primarily to prevent which error? → Dose measurement errors caused by using tuberculin or other syringes
2. What is a recommended strategy for reducing errors with high-alert medications? → Require independent double-checks
3. The following procedures, EXCEPT for those listed below, can reduce prescription errors. → Using abbreviations
4. ISMP recommends that medications removed from automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) using the 'override' function should be: → Limited to true emergencies and reviewed retrospectively by pharmacy
5. One of the most frequent errors in IV medicine administration is: → Administering the drug too quickly
6. Which type of error reporting does ISMP encourage healthcare facilities to adopt? → Voluntary, non-punitive near-miss and error reporting
7. ISMP recommends that near-miss reports be used primarily to: → Identify and fix system vulnerabilities before an error reaches a patient
8. ISMP recommends weight-based dosing for pediatric patients be calculated using which weight measurement? → Actual current body weight measured at admission
9. The 'five rights' of medication administration (right patient, drug, dose, route, time) are considered by ISMP to be: → Necessary but not sufficient without systems-based safeguards
10. ISMP recommends that LASA drug pairs stored in pharmacies be: → Stored in separate locations with auxiliary warning labels
11. ISMP recommends that healthcare facilities review LASA-related errors from their institution and from ISMP reports in order to: → Proactively strengthen safeguards before similar events occur internally
12. Smart infusion pumps with drug libraries contribute to medication error prevention by: → Alerting nurses when a programmed dose is outside safe limits
13. According to ISMP, which practice is recommended to reduce the risk of errors when administering multiple IV medications through the same line? → Trace all lines from the patient back to their origin before connecting
14. ISMP defines 'look-alike/sound-alike' (LASA) drug pairs as medications that: → Have names or packaging that can be confused with one another
15. Which medication do you take in a mental health crisis? → Dantrolene
16. ISMP identifies which factor as a primary contributor to medication errors in high-stress healthcare environments? → Cognitive overload and interruptions during medication preparation and administration
17. Which organization publishes the list of high-alert medications used most widely in US healthcare settings? → ISMP
18. Which communication strategy does ISMP recommend to prevent transcription errors when receiving verbal medication orders? → Read back and verify the order with the prescriber
19. According to ISMP, a key strategy for reducing LASA errors at the nursing unit level is to: → Include the drug indication on the medication administration record
20. ISMP recommends that over-the-counter (OTC) medications and herbal supplements be included in medication reconciliation because: → They can interact with prescription medications and cause adverse effects
21. Bar-code medication administration (BCMA) technology is primarily used to verify which of the five rights at the bedside? → Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time
22. Forcing functions in medication safety are design features that: → Make it impossible or very difficult to perform an unsafe action
23. ISMP recommends that the discharge medication list provided to patients include which critical element? → Why each medication is being taken (indication)
24. According to ISMP, which labeling practice helps distinguish high-alert medications from routine drugs? → Auxiliary warning labels or stickers
25. Metformin and metronidazole are considered a LASA pair primarily because: → Their names look and sound alike, potentially causing accidental substitution
26. Submitting a MedWatch report may be done by all of the following EXCEPT: → In person
27. Which ISMP-recommended strategy most directly prevents confusion between DOBUTamine and DOPamine? → Use tall man lettering to highlight the different portions of each name
28. ISMP's Medication Safety Self Assessment focuses on 'forcing functions' as an error prevention strategy. A forcing function is best described as: → A physical or electronic barrier that makes it impossible to complete an unsafe action
29. According to ISMP guidelines, what is the primary purpose of independent double-checks for high-alert medications? → Catch errors before they reach the patient
30. Which of the following is an ISMP-recommended practice to prevent wrong-route errors with oral liquid medications? → Use only oral/enteral syringes that cannot connect to IV tubing