National Standard for User-applied Labelling of Injectable Medicines Fluids and Lines

The Commission developed the National Standard for User-applied Labelling of Injectable Medicines, Fluids and Lines (the Labelling Standard) for health professionals to communicate safely:

• The contents of containers and lines used for, and with, injectable medicines and fluids
• The patients for whom the medicines and fluids are intended.

Using the Labelling Standard is mandatory for meeting the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards (second edition) – in particular, NSQHS Medication Safety Standard.

National Standard for User-applied Labelling of Injectable Medicines, Fluids and Lines

2015

Guide, user guide or guidelines

The Labelling Standard is designed to reduce the risk of patient harm from injectable medicines by helping healthcare professionals identify the correct injectable medicine or fluid (container), route of administration of the injectable medicine (conduit) and patient for whom the medicine is intended.

The Commission and the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists released a joint statement supporting user-applied labelling standardisation of injectable medicines.

Additional resource

The Factsheet Identification of neural route medicines, fluids and lines has been developed by the Commission and endorsed by the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists to assist clinicians managing neural administration of injectable medicines and fluids. This may be used alongside any implementation of ISO80369-6 compliant neural connector devices.

Identification of neural route medicines, fluids and lines factsheet

2022

Fact sheet or brochure

Developed by the Commission and endorsed by the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists this factsheet summarises the identification of neural route medicines, fluids and lines as described in the National standard for user-applied labelling of injectable medicines, fluids and lines.

The Labelling Standard

The Labelling Standard expands on the previous Labelling Recommendations to include:

• Labelling of containers in perioperative settings (including cardiac catheter and interventional radiology units)
• Colour coded pre-printed medicine labels for use on dedicated continuous infusion lines
• Colour coding by medicine class in accordance with the Anaesthetic Labelling Standard, including teal green for anticoagulant/antiplatelet medicines
• Liquid medicines for oral, enteral and inhalational use
• Locked catheters
• Labelling of non-injectable medicines and fluids prepared in the same area as injectable medicines, and colour coding with a red St Andrews Cross watermark
• A range of issues previously listed in the Labelling Recommendations Issues Register.

Labelling Standard resources and tools

• Labelling Standard labels for viewing and printing
• Label specifications for specialist clinical areas
• Labelling Standard implementation resources

User-applied Labelling Standard issues register

2022

Publication, report or update

The User-applied Labelling Standard issues register records implementation issues that cannot be answered by the Labelling Standard or related support materials (found in the Labelling Standard implementation resources).