According to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), which of the following may lead to errors in transcribing prescriptions?

Rationale

Trailing zeros

According to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), the use of trailing zeros (e.g., writing 1.0 mg instead of 1 mg) can lead to errors in transcribing prescriptions. If the decimal point is overlooked, the dose could be misread as 10 mg instead of 1 mg, resulting in a tenfold dosing error that may cause serious patient harm.

A (E-prescribing) YOUR ANSWER

This is incorrect. E-prescribing is designed to reduce transcription errors by sending prescriptions electronically, rather than causing them.

B (Trailing zeros) CORRECT

This is correct. Trailing zeros increase the risk of misinterpretation and are a known source of medication errors. ISMP advises avoiding trailing zeros for safety.

C (Leading zeros) YOUR ANSWER

This is incorrect. Leading zeros (e.g., 0.5 mg) are recommended to prevent misreading of decimal values, so they actually help reduce errors.

D (Tall Man lettering) YOUR ANSWER

This is incorrect. Tall Man lettering (e.g., “predniSONE” vs “predniSOLONE”) is a strategy to reduce errors in confusing drug names, not cause them.

Conclusion

Transcription errors can have serious consequences. ISMP highlights trailing zeros as a significant risk factor, emphasizing the importance of writing doses clearly without unnecessary trailing zeros to ensure patient safety.

According to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), which of the following may lead to errors in transcribing prescriptions?

Trailing zeros

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