The high-risk medicines standards outline how NSW Health facilities manage medicines most likely to cause serious patient harm when misused or used in error. Compliance with each standard is mandatory and should be read in conjunction with the High-Risk Medicines Management Policy (PD2024_006). This section also includes the supporting resources for clinicians.
What is a high-risk medicine?
High-risk medicines are identified by reviewing incident data and published evidence. They often share one or more of the following characteristics:
- a narrow therapeutic index
- complex or unusual dosing or monitoring requirements
- availability in multiple strengths and forms
- look-alike or sound-alike names or packaging.
Once a medicine is identified as high-risk, facilities must put risk mitigation strategies in place to reduce the risk these medicines pose to patients and health care workers. These include protocols, policies or guidelines that help clinicians prevent serious adverse drug events.
Standards
The High-Risk Medicines Program supports NSW Health facilities to apply the High-Risk Medicines Management Policy (PD2024_006). The standards below sit under the policy directive and align with the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards for medication safety.
- Anticancer medicines
- Anticoagulants
- HYDROmorphone
- Insulin
- Methotrexate (oral)
- Neuromuscular blocking agents
- Opioid analgesics
- Paracetamol
- Potassium (Intravenous)
- Vinca alkaloids