Just a handful of drugs are considered high-alert medications. These medications have been proven to be safe and effective, but serious harm can occur if they are not taken exactly as directed. This means that it is vitally important for patients to understand how errors happen with these medications, and the steps that are necessary to keep them safe while taking these medications.
For some commonly prescribed and/or error-prone high-alert medications, the Institute has created medication safety learning guides, each at an appropriate health literacy and reading level for consumers. The 2-page learning guides include 10 Safety Tips specific to each medication, along with a table of Fast Facts about the medication. The learning guides are FREE and available for download. Practitioners can freely reproduce the learning guides, use them for reference during patient education, and distribute them directly to consumers who are taking these medications. Some of the learning guides are also available in Spanish.
