Dal packaging all’errore: casi esemplari e aspetti normativi

Abstract

A number of factors can contribute to medication errors, and packaging may be one cause. For example a medication can be mistakenly administered either because the drug container (eg, iv bag, prefilled syringe, etc.) is similar in appearance to the intended medication’s container or because the packages had similar labelling. The Authors describe three case reports that show how an unclear packaging can be responsible for inappropriate use, and subsequent patient’s injuries. Hospital pharmacy staff, prescribing physicians, other healthcare workers, and even patients can play a role in minimizing the occurrence of these types of errors. However also drug manufacturers have an important role and should provide clear and unique labels and packages for their products, as underlined by pharmaceutical packaging legislation and regulations.