Review of medication error sources associated with inpatient subcutaneous insulin: recommendations for safe and cost-effective dispensing practices.
Insulin is a high-alert medication due to heightened risk for serious patient harm if administered incorrectly. This review presents types of common errors (e.g., wrong patient, cross-contamination), pros and cons of potential dispensing strategies, and the impact of organizational factors (e.g., workflows, cost) on safe dispensing. Additionally, the authors make recommendations for dispensing, taking organization factors into account.