Using Patient Safety Science to Explore Strategies for Improving Safety in Intravenous Medication Administration

Harm is more likely to result from errors in intravenous (IV) administration than through any other routes of administration. Infusion therapies are delivered in a variety of settings every day, including hospitals, home care settings, long-term care facilities, occupational health facilities, outpatient clinics, and physician offices. Understanding the basic principles of patient safety and developing strategies to reduce risk and severity are critical to improving the safety of IV medication administration. Consistent implementation of accepted strategies to prevent error is long overdue in the practice of IV medication administration. This article challenges the reader to develop a better understanding of patient-safety science, thoroughly investigate the causes of IV medication administration errors, and develop processes to mitigate the recurrence of similar errors.