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Recommendations for Health Care Professionals to Reduce Medication Errors Associated with the Label, Labeling and Packaging of Pharmaceutical (Drug) Products and Related Devices These recommendations primarily apply to physicians and other prescribers, pharmacists, and nurses. The Council encourages health care professionals to routinely educate patients and caregivers to enhance understanding and proper use of their medications and related devices. Furthermore, the Council encourages health care professionals to regularly participate in medication error prevention training programs and, when medication errors do occur, to actively participate in the investigation. In addition, the Council makes the following recommendations to health care professionals to reduce medication errors associated with the label, labeling and packaging of drug products and related devices: The Council encourages health care professionals to read labels carefully (at least three times—before, during, and after use). The Council encourages collaboration among health care professionals, health care organizations, patients, the pharmaceutical industry, standard-setters, and regulators to facilitate design of drug product packaging and labeling to help minimize errors. The Council encourages health care professionals to take an active role in reviewing and commenting on proposed FDA regulations (i.e., Federal Register) and USP standards (i.e., Pharmacopeial Forum) that relate to labeling and packaging of drug products. The Council encourages health care professionals to report actual and potential medication errors to national (e.g., FDA MedWatch Program and/or the USP-ISMP Medication Errors Reporting Program), internal, and local reporting programs. The Council encourages health care professionals to share medication error-related experiences, case studies, etc., with their colleagues through newsletters, journals, bulletin boards, and the Internet. Adopted by the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention May 30, 1998 Revised February 27, 2007 © 1998–2008 National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention. All Rights Reserved. *Permission is hereby granted to reproduce information contained herein provided that such reproduction shall not modify the text and shall include the copyright notice appearing on the pages from which it was copied.