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 – August 2015 – web optimised (PDF 1MB)
- National Standard for User-Applied Labelling of Injectable Medicines, Fluids and Lines – August 2015 – print version (PDF 8MB)
- National Standard for User-Applied Labelling of Injectable Medicines, Fluids and Lines – August 2015 (Word 7MB)
The Commission and the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists released a joint statement supporting user-applied labelling standardisation of injectable medicines.
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.