Three low-cost, high-impact safety strategies for administering medication to newborns are:
Mandatory independent double-checking: Two professionals separately verify the calculation, drug, dosage, and route of administration for high-risk medications prior to administration.
Standardization of concentrations and labeling: A single concentration per drug within the unit, using clear labels and color-coding to distinguish dosages.
Positive patient identification: Use of two identifiers (wristband and medical record) and verbal confirmation prior to identification, supported by a simple checklist.
Family as a safety partner: Parents notice subtle changes in their infant or raise an alert if a medication looks different or is administered at an unusual time.
Link to the webinar "Strategies to Prevent, Detect, and Treat Neonatal Sepsis in the Face of Microbial Resistance" below under "Source."
