Pharmacy OneSource Announces Free Webinar on Look-Alike Drug Name Medication Errors

June 16, 2009 - PRLog -- Bellevue, WA -- Pharmacy OneSource, creator of the Amplifi formulary management web application, is pleased to announce a complimentary webinar presented by industry expert Matthew Grissinger, RPh, FISMP, FASCP, Director of Error Reporting Programs for the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), to review the factors that contribute drug name similarity and confusion.

There have been a number of reports of mix-ups due to medication names that "look-alike." Similar traits of drug name pairs, such as the strength, dosage form, and frequency, increase the risk of confusion and mix-up.

"Since medication errors due to look-alike drug names are potentially serious, pharmacists, other practitioners, and patients need to be alert to the possibility of mix-ups," said Grissinger.

This webinar will identify the factors that contribute to drug name similarity and confusion, recognize the areas in the medication-use process where drug names could be confused, and discuss strategies to prevent errors associated with look-alike drug names.

Identifying and Preventing Medication Errors Associated with Look-Alike Drug Names
DATE: Wednesday, June 24, 2009
TIME: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT
WHERE: http://www.p1source.com/common/ads/click.asp?at=8&a=2367&...

About the Speaker
Matthew Grissinger, RPh, FASCP is the Director of Error Reporting Programs at the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). His responsibilities include working with healthcare practitioners and institutions to provide education about medication errors and their prevention, review medication errors that have been voluntarily submitted by practitioners to a national ISMP Medication Errors Reporting Program (MERP) as well as serving as a clinical analyst for the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (Pa-PSRS). He has extensive experience in long-term care, home care, and community pharmacy. Prior to joining ISMP, he served as a home care and long-term care pharmacy surveyor for the Joint Commission. Mr. Grissinger is a frequent speaker on pharmacy topics and current issues in medication safety. He has published numerous articles in the pharmacy literature, including regular columns in P&T, U.S. Pharmacist, and the PSA Patient Safety Advisory.

About Pharmacy OneSource (www.pharmacyonesource.com)
Pharmacy OneSource is healthcare's #1 Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider. Our more than 70 innovative team members provide best-in-class, SaaS solutions to current and future challenges within health-systems worldwide. Our SaaS solutions contribute to swift and safe healthcare through earlier, easier and better access to data. More than 1,300 healthcare organizations worldwide utilize our HIPAA compliant web-based services: Accupedia, Amplifi, Quantifi, ScheduleRx, Sentri7, Simplifi 797, and UnitStock.