High-Risk Medicines

High-risk medicines are medicines that have a high risk of causing significant injury or patient harm when they are misused or used in error. High risk medicines may:

  • have a narrow therapeutic index
  • have complex or unusual dosing and/or monitoring requirements
  • be available in multiple strengths and forms
  • have look-alike or sound-alike naming or packaging to other medicines.

High-risk medicines are identified through review of incident data and published information. Once identified, risk mitigation strategies are to be in place to increase safety including the development of protocols, policies or guidelines to assist clinicians in preventing serious adverse drug events.

Overview

The High-Risk Medicines Program is a component of the CEC Medication Safety and Quality Program and provides resources and to support hospitals with the implementation of the NSW Health Policy Directive High-Risk Medicines Management (PD2024_006). The Policy Directive is to be viewed in accordance with the below high-risk medicines standards. Compliance with the individual high-risk medicine standards is a mandatory requirement for all NSW Health facilities. The individual standards available are:

The program also provides support for NSW Health facilities to meet the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standard relating to high-risk medicines.

Supporting resources for clinicians