Access all MSDS in one place!

The new MSDS Database Online—updated daily.

Highlights

Drug brand name changed due to mix-ups identified through reports to USP and FDA Reports to USP's MEDMARX and Medication Errors Reporting Program and the FDA helped to identify a serious problem involving mix-ups between Reminyl, a drug used for Alzheimer's and Amaryl, a drug used to treat diabetes. As a result, the Reminyl brand name is changing to Razadyne.

Patient Safety—an Overview

USP enables safer care of patients in U.S. hospitals and health systems by providing resources that help healthcare professionals safely deliver and administer medications to patients. USP recognizes that medication errors are the primary source of harm to patients. However, when hospitals and practitioners share information on field experiences with such errors, risks to patient safety at the point of care can be better understood and many medication errors can be prevented or eliminated. Therefore, USP's patient safety initiatives and resources are primarily intended to facilitate information sharing among healthcare professionals.

Reporting programs

USP operates two reporting programs that capture information about medication errors and help all parties involved act to prevent the recurrence of such errors.

MEDMARX® is USP's interactive, anonymous, Internet-accessible system that allows reporting of medication errors and adverse drug reactions. This subscription-based reporting program is available to hospitals and health systems as a tool to collect, analyze, and disseminate error data and share solutions for prevention. MEDMARX facilitates informative comparisons and experience-based learning through a national database of more than 1.1 million adverse drug event records.

The Medication Errors Reporting Program, operated by USP in cooperation with the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, allows healthcare professionals to report potential and actual medication errors directly to USP on a confidential and anonymous basis.

A broad range of patient safety initiatives

To further improve patient safety in U.S. hospitals and health systems, USP conducts extensive analysis and research on the data it receives through its reporting programs. USP also develops Pharmacopeial Education programs, publishes articles on issues related to medication errors, participates in legislative activities, and provides recommendations for official drug standards that will enhance patient safety. The results of these endeavors are available to healthcare professionals through various USP patient safety newsletters and other tools and resources.

Collaborations for safe medication use

USP is a founding member and the current Secretariat for the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP). NCC MERP is an independent body comprising 23 national healthcare organizations, which are collaborating to address the interdisciplinary causes of errors and to promote the safe use of medications. For more information, visit www.nccmerp.org.