Description
Medications are a critical component of the care provided to patients and are used for diagnostic, symptomatic,preventive, curative, and palliative treatment and management of diseases and conditions. A medication system that supports optimal medication management must include processes that support safe and effectivemedication use. Safe, effective medication use involves a multidisciplinary, coordinated effort of health carepractitioners applying the principles of process design, implementation, and improvement to all aspects ofthe medication management process, which includes the selecting, procuring, storing, ordering/prescribing,transcribing, distributing, preparing, dispensing, administering, documenting, and monitoring of medicationtherapies. Although health care practitioners' roles in medication management vary greatly from one countryto another, sound medication management processes for patient safety are universal, and must be supportedby scientific evidence and guidance for prescribers such as in the development of a program for antibioticstewardship and the use of accepted medication practice guidelines.Note: Medication is defined as any prescription medications; sample medications; herbal remedies; vitamins;nutraceuticals; over-the-counter drugs; vaccines; diagnostic and contrast agents used on or administered topersons to diagnose, to treat, or to prevent disease or other abnormal conditions; radioactive medications;respiratory therapy treatments; parenteral nutrition; blood derivatives; and intravenous solutions (plain, withelectrolytes and/or drugs), as well as solutions administered/used on the patient by the surgical team duringsurgical/invasive procedures. Note: Some standards require the hospital to have a written policy, procedure, program, or other written document for specific processes. Those standards are indicated by a ? icon after the standard text.
