Learning from errors with the new COVID-19 vaccines (ISMP, 14 January 2021)

Summary

In mid-December, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorisation (EUA) to both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Since then, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) has received numerous voluntary reports of COVID-19 vaccine errors or hazards through the ISMP National Vaccine Errors Reporting Program (VERP), the ISMP National Consumer Medication Errors Reporting Program (C-MERP), and via email correspondence from professional colleagues.

This article from ISMP highlights a few of the missteps happening across the nation and internationally, from vaccine dilution errors to look-alike product mix-ups. There is much to be gleaned from these reports, as the same types of errors are likely happening globally, and similar risks exist in most settings. They conclude with safe practice recommendations to help prevent these types of errors in your practice setting.