Meeting the Standards for Emergency Medications and Labeling

Abstract

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) Medication Management Standards and certain National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) contain specific requirements aimed at promoting medication safety. Medication Management Standard 2.30 requires that emergency medications are consistently available, controlled, and secured. Changes made in 2004 in the CMS Interpretive Guidelines for hospital Conditions of Participation deal with security of mobile carts. Since JCAHO requires compliance with applicable federal and state laws and regulations, these CMS regulations need to be considered when designing and controlling emergency medication supplies. Medication Management standard 4.30 requires that medications are labeled. A new 2006 NPSG details requirements for medication labels on and off the sterile field.