Preventing Chemotherapy Errors

L earning O bjectives After completing this course, the reader will be able to: Define the extent and scope of chemotherapy errors and their impact on patient care. Describe common types of prescribing errors. Recommend procedures to prevent errors in drug orders, preparation, and identification of patients. Identify reporting and monitoring systems both within your institution and at the government levels.Access and take the CME test online and receive 1 AMA PRA category 1 credit at CME.TheOncologist.com A large amount of information on chemotherapy error prevention is available to the practicing oncologist. However, few oncologists have the time and resources to obtain the information and evaluate the evidence. Further, much of the information is generic and does not provide specific direction on how the information can be applied in clinical practice. This manuscript reviews principles of safe chemotherapy administration, identifies key actions to prevent chemotherapy errors, and provides suggestions on how the information can be incorporated into daily practice.