In our daily lives, it’s easy to overlook the significance of past technological advancements. Today if you contract an infection from a virus or cut, you don’t fear for your life. But that wasn’t true 100 years ago. Without the discovery of penicillin, it’s possible we might not even be alive today. Trevor Stone, DSc, head of pharmacology at the University of Glasgow and author of the recent book Pills, Potions and Poisons: How Drugs Work said, “Without penicillin, 75% of the people now alive would not be alive because their parents or grandparents would have succumbed to infections.” Penicillin is widely considered the most important drug discovery of all time. Another drug on Stone’s top 10 list is morphine, the forerunner of several generations of anesthesia and pain-alleviating drugs. Stone states, “Without morphine, untold numbers of people would have spent their lives in great pain."

Yet with all the discoveries, there is a frustrating downside, medication errors, which remain the most common type of medical error. This underscores the importance of precise administration, one that anesthesia and drug labels can play a critical role in solving.

How Anesthesia and Drug Labels Elevate Patient Safety

Anesthesia and drug labels play a pivotal role in ensuring that medications including fentanyl, lidocaine, propofol, and more are correctly identified and administered. Accurate labeling isn’t just an organizational tool. It is a cornerstone of patient safety, helping providers administer drugs accurately and avoid medication errors that could lead to severe consequences.

Importance of Accuracy

Measure thrice and cut once. Although this Gaelic proverb relates to the importance of accurately measuring material for kilts, the concept of planning thoroughly before you act applies to numerous areas including administering medication.

Precise labeling is a crucial element for the safe administration of anesthesia and other critical medications. An accurate label provides vital information at a glance. It enables healthcare professionals to confirm they are administering the correct drug at the correct dose and reduces the risk of human error. Although drug labels impact care in any setting, they play an even greater role in high-pressure environments like operating rooms and emergency departments.

Understanding Anesthesia and Drug Labels

While they serve very similar functions, anesthesia labels differ depending on the application.

Drug Labels

Anesthesia drug labels are individual stickers or labels designed to be affixed to anesthesia drug containers, such as vials, syringes and IV bags. They are typically used to identify and communicate specific information about the contents of the container, including the drug name, concentration and dosage. Drug labels may also contain additional details such as the expiration date or barcodes.

Drug Tapes

Anesthesia drug tapes come in rolls or strips that can be cut to the desired length. These tapes are pre-printed with essential information. Drug tapes are used to label multiple items or surfaces in a continuous manner. They can be wrapped around syringes, draped over trays, or placed on workstations to indicate the presence and type of anesthesia drugs.

Vaccine Labels

Similar to drug labels, vaccine syringe labels clearly identify the type of vaccine preventing mixups and ensuring it is administered safely. In addition, vaccine time and date labels include space for the expiration date and time to guard against using the vaccine after the beyond-use date.

Key Information Contained on Anesthesia and Drug Labels

Anesthesia and drug labels should contain the following information:

• Drug Name - the generic or brand name of the medication
• Strength - specifying the strength is crucial for dosing accuracy
• Expiration Date - to ensure the drug is used within its effective period
• Initials - initialing the label is a Joint Commission requirement
• Warnings - add any special instructions or cautions, such as "for IV use only" or "dilute before use”

Best Practices for Label Application and Management

The combination of 55% of Americans taking at least one prescription medication, 20% of those taking three or more, and over 6,800 FDA-approved drugs pose medication management challenges for providers. Add in the ISMP list of over 1000 confused drug names and it’s no wonder medication errors occur. But confirming the name of the drug is only one of the issues that impact accuracy. Use these best practices for label application and management.

Drug Label Formats

How drug labels are formatted can cause confusion that leads to administration errors. Dosing errors are one example. Epinephrine in a multi-ingredient formulation combined with local anesthetics may be expressed using ratios. For example, a single vial might be labeled with 1 mg/mL or 1:1,000. But ratios are easy to misinterpret, leading to incorrect dosing. Eliminating the use of ratios has proven to reduce adverse events. UAL anesthesia labels only use the mg/mL format.

Color Coding

A visual queue offers an additional means to distinguish between various types of anesthesia. Color-coded labels using ASTM color guidelines differentiate medication classes. For example, when a patient requires an opioid, the clinical staff knows the syringe should contain a blue colored label. Although color coding isn’t a substitute for double checking and confirming a drug name, it does offer redundancy cues that support working memory which can reduce medication errors.

Label Material Durability

With exposure to the liquids and the frequent handling typical in healthcare settings, durability is an essential element of anesthesia and drug labels. Flexible materials ensure that labels remain intact and legible throughout their use and flexible enough to easily wrap around small syringes and vials.

Adhesive Quality

The same liquids and frequent handling that make durability an important consideration also elevate the importance of adhesive selection. Labels need to securely adhere to different surfaces, including vials, syringes, and IV bags, without falling off or flagging. This ensures that information is always accessible and readable.

Compliance Considerations

Compliance standards are designed to elevate the safety and quality of care. With the challenges that surround medication administration, there is a significant focus on implementing specific procedures to enhance medication safety. 

In fact, labels play an essential role. For example, Joint Commission standards MM.05.01.09 and NPSG 03.04.01 center on improving the safety of using medications. Labeling all medications or solutions, including anesthesia medications, is one of the required steps.

Hospital-Specific Protocols

Although stock anesthesia and drug labels are designed with compliance mandates in mind, a provider may have protocols that differ, requiring a custom format or design.

Technological Advancements in Labeling

Implementing barcodes on medication labels has significantly advanced medication safety. To illustrate, a barcode medication administration system (BCMA) reads the barcode of the patient’s wristband, the healthcare worker’s identification and the medication. The system verifies the right medication, the right patient and the right moment. It also verifies the medication is administered only by authorized staff. The information is then viewable in EHR systems.

A study by BMC Nursing found integrating barcoded anesthesia and drug labels with EHR systems reduced medication errors by 30%.

United Ad Label

Anesthesia and drug labels are vital in ensuring patient safety. By adhering to best practices, leveraging technological advances, and complying with regulatory standards, healthcare providers can significantly reduce medication errors. Accurate labeling of medications like fentanyl, lidocaine, and propofol not only safeguards patients but also enhances the overall quality of care in medical facilities. See our complete selection of stock anesthesia and drug labels here.