ISMP Medication Administration Safety 3

Question 1

ISMP recommends that insulin be administered using only dedicated insulin syringes or insulin pens primarily to prevent which error?

Accepted Answer

Dose measurement errors caused by using tuberculin or other syringes

Answer

Contamination of the insulin vial

Answer

Allergic reactions to non-insulin materials

Answer

Incorrect storage of drawn-up insulin

Question 2

According to ISMP, which practice is recommended to reduce the risk of errors when administering multiple IV medications through the same line?

Accepted Answer

Trace all lines from the patient back to their origin before connecting

Answer

Mix all compatible medications into one bag to reduce tubing changes

Answer

Use the same port for all medications to maintain a consistent setup

Answer

Prioritize speed of administration over line verification

Question 3

ISMP recommends against crushing extended-release or enteric-coated tablets primarily because:

Accepted Answer

Crushing alters the drug release mechanism, potentially causing toxicity or reduced efficacy

Answer

Crushed medications have an unpleasant taste

Answer

Crushed medications cannot be accurately measured

Answer

Crushing increases the risk of contamination

Question 4

ISMP's Medication Safety Self Assessment focuses on 'forcing functions' as an error prevention strategy. A forcing function is best described as:

Accepted Answer

A physical or electronic barrier that makes it impossible to complete an unsafe action

Answer

A mandatory training module for nurses

Answer

A policy requiring documentation of near-misses

Answer

An alert that warns but allows the user to proceed

Question 5

Which of the following is an ISMP recommendation for reducing 10-fold dosing errors in pediatric patients?

Accepted Answer

Require independent double-checks and weight-based dose verification using a standardized tool

Answer

Use adult dosing guidelines and divide by patient age

Answer

Allow nurses to round doses up for ease of measurement

Answer

Dispense only unit-dose packages from pharmacy

Question 6

ISMP recommends that patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pumps include which safety feature to prevent basal rate errors?

Accepted Answer

Pharmacy-prepared, labeled syringes and independent double-checks of pump programming

Answer

No restriction on basal rate programming by nursing staff

Answer

Patient self-programming capability for dose adjustments

Answer

Bypassing drug library limits for opioid-tolerant patients

Question 7

According to ISMP, when a medication error or near-miss occurs, the most important immediate action is to:

Accepted Answer

Ensure patient safety, report the event, and conduct a systems-based analysis to prevent recurrence

Answer

Determine which staff member was responsible and document it

Answer

Avoid documenting the event to protect staff from liability

Answer

Retrain the individual involved without investigating the system