A list of "do not use" abbreviations, aconyms, symbols and dose desciptions is created and applied to all handwritten or free text orders or medication documents and to preprinted forms.What It Means
Each organization must create a list of abbreviations or acronyms that are no longer to be used in the Medical Record.
Why It Is Important
Medication errors are frequently hard to detect, but can occur for a number of reasons. One known cause of medication errors is the use of abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols in medication orders that do not have common meaning, or can be misread by the pharmacist or person administering the medication. To reduce these errors, doctors and other health care professionals have identified the most common abbreviation-related errors and are working to eliminate them through a variety of methods.