profession
Fatal overdoses prompt revision of heparin labels
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Dec. 10, 2012
The labels for heparin sodium injections and heparin lock flush solutions will be revised to prevent overdoses that can have deadly consequences, the U.S. Pharmacopeiaal Convention announced in November. A packaging-related heparin overdose killed three infants at an Indiana hospital, and a similar dosing error nearly killed the newborn twins of actor Dennis Quaid.
The new USP standards will require the blood thinner’s packaging to include the total drug strength contained on multidose containers. The organization said data indicate that health professionals often misunderstand containers labeled only with drug-strength statements written as “mg per mL” as statements about the container’s total drug contents. The revised standards will take effect on May 1, 2013.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/12/10/prbf1210.htm.