Reminders for safe use of new imported acetaminophen for kids

Health Canada is allowing emergency imports after months of shortages in pediatric acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Some of those medications are to be sold in community pharmacies, while others are for hospital use. That includes offering temporary exceptions to two products to be used in hospitals: an ibuprofen product that comes in the same concentrations as Canadian equivalents do, and an Australian acetaminophen product, Tylenol for Babies, that comes in a different concentration than its Canadian equivalent. It is packaged in a red box that looks very similar to Canadian Tylenol. That Australian acetaminophen is the focus of a new safety bulletin from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada. “The introduction of imported products into the medication-use system must be carefully managed to mitigate risks, such as the potential for medication errors,” the bulletin says. “Hospitals that will be using the acetaminophen product imported from Australia will need a multipronged systems approach to reduce the risk for errors.” Read: Emergency supply of children’s acetaminophen coming to ease shortages: Health Canada The bulletin includes a non-exhaustive list of eight possible strategies to help with this. The first is to create a decision-making and communications group that introduces the new product, monitors the supply situation, educates others about it, and stops using it when the need ends. The ISMP also offers suggestions to consider on storing, dispensing and preparing the Australian acetaminophen. They include storing it in a different area than the regular acetaminophen, adding specific dispensing processes to it, adding an auxiliary warning label, updating barcodes so that the product can be scanned by medication management systems, and adding signage nearby with information about it. In addition, the ISMP recommends thinking about whether paper-based or electronic systems need to be updated. Some of the options it covers are changing computerized order entry systems, drug information resources, quick reference charts and dosing guidelines, and medication reconciliation at transitions of care. It also says it’s important to make sure families and caregivers understand that the medication was imported, and the correct weight-based doses and kinds of medications to use at home after discharge. Finally, it says errors, near misses and other safety concerns should be reported to the hospital as usual and the Canadian Medication Incident Reporting and Prevention System. Read: Emergency supply of children’s acetaminophen coming to ease shortages: Health Canada

Reminders for safe use of new imported acetaminophen for kids

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