LOOK - ALIKE SOUND-AlIKE (LASA) MEDSLook Alike Sound Alike (LASA) medications involve medications that are visually similar in physical appearance or packaging and names of medications that have spelling similarities and/or similar phonetics. Confusing medication names and similar product packaging may lead to potentially harmful medication errors. To tackle this, HQE Medication Safety Committee have identify and listed out LASA Medications for your references. Ward and clinics could make use of this list in order to prevent medication errors that may arise from LASA Medications.
LASA TABLETS
S T O R A G E L A B E L I N G U S I N G TALLMAN LETTERING
Tall Man lettering (or Tallman lettering) is the practice of writing part of a medicines name in upper case letters to help distinguish sound- alike, look-alike medications from one another to avoid medication errors.
We recommend the use of Tallman Lettering on wards/clinics medication storage labelling. Example of tallman lettering : metFORMIN - metoPROLOL.
Drug Name With Tall Man Letters
Confused With
AMLOdipine FELOdipine
calcium LACTATE calcium CARBONATE
CARBAmazepine CHLORPROmazine
CLOXAcillin AMOXYcillin – PENIcillin V
ERYTHROmycin CLARIthromycin - CLINDAmycinFRUsemide ACETAZOlamide
glibenclaMIDE gliclaZIDE
lovaSTATIN loraTADINE
metFORMIN metoPROLOL
metFORMIN metroNIDAZOLE
METOprolol ATENOlol – LABETAlol - PROPRAnololMETHYLdopa CARBIdopa
neuroBIOn * neuroNTIn *
PERINdopril ENALApril – CAPtopril
PRAzosin TERAzosin
FLUNArizine CINNArizine
CARBAmazepine CHLORPROmazine
CLOTRIMAzole CO-TRIMOXAzole
ALPRAzolam LORAzepam
CLONAzepam LORAzepam - DIAzepam
ARIPIprazole ESOMEprazole – PANTOprazole -
RABEprazole
ATORVAstatin ROSUVAstatin – PRAVAstatin-
SIMVAstatin
CARVEDIlol BISOPROlol
CELEcoxib ETEROcoxib
Drug Name With Tall Man Letters Confused With
ARIPIprazole ESOMEprazole – PANTOprazole -
RABEprazole
ATORVAstatin ROSUVAstatin – PRAVAstatin-
SIMVAstatin
CARVEDIlol BISOPROlol
CELEcoxib ETEROcoxib
COzaar* HYzaar*
cycloSPORIN CycloSERIN
DOXAZOsin ALFUZOsin
DUTAsteride FINAsteride
DULoxetine FLUoxetine
entaCAPONE enteCAVIR
ITRAconazole FLUconazole-VORIconazole
LAMIvudine STAvudine-TELVIvudine -
ZIDOvudine
LOsartan IRBEsartan- TELMIsartan -
VALsartan
LEVOcetrizine CETrizine
LEVETIRAcetam PIRAcetam
Mycophenolate MOFETIL Mycophenolate SODIUM
MIRTAzapine OLANzapine- QUETIApine
SITAgliptin VILDA gliptin
TENOfovir ADEfovir
TENOfovir TENOfovir / FTC (Tenvir EM)
GOOD PRESCRIBING PRACTICE
1. Write legibly. Write clearly whether on an inpatient order or on a prescription.
2. Prescription should clearly specify name of medication, dosage form, dose and complete direction for use.
3. Communicate clearly. Take your t ime in pronouncing the drug name whenever an oral order has to be made. Ask that the recipient of the oral communication repeat the medication name and dose. Verbal orders should be limited to emergency situations only.
READ & CHECK LABELS
1. Emphasize the need to read labels rather than relying on visual recognition and location.
2. Check actual medicines against medication labels and against the prescriptions.
Strategies to avoid medication errors
LASA injectionsDrug Name With Tall
Man LettersConfused With
cefOTAXime CefTAZIDime
cefTAZIDime CefOTAXime, cefTRIAXone
cefTRIAXone CeFAZolin
DOBUTamine DOPamine
DOPamine DOBUTamine
PANcuronium ROcuronium
ROcuronium PANcuronium
LOOK-ALIKE MEDICATION
Inj. Hyoscine
Butylbromide 20 mg/ml
Inj. Ranitidine
50 mg/2 ml
Inj.
Prochlorperazine Mesylate
12.5 mg/ml
Inj. Adrenaline
Acid Tartarate 0.18 % w/v
Inj. Fluphenazine
Decanoate 25 mg/ml
Inj. Haloperidol
5 mg/ml
Inj. Ampicillin 500 mg Inj. Cloxacillin 500 mg
Inj. Penicillin G 5,000,000 iu Inj. Cefazolin 1 g
Inj. Streptomycn 1g Inj. Hydrocortisone 100 mg
LOOK ALIKE MEDICATION
Inj. Cefuroxime 1.5 g Inj. Cefuroxime 750 mg
LOOK ALIKE MEDICATION
Inj. Cefotaxime 1g
Inj. Potassium Dihydrogen
Phosphate Inj. Magnesium Sulfate Inj. Calcium Gluconate
Inj. Propofol 10 mg/ml Inj. Etomidate 20 mg/10 ml
Inj. Fluconazole 2 mg/ml Inj. Voriconazole 200 mg Inj. Sulperazon 1 g
Inj. Sodium Bicarbonate 8.4 % Inj. Potassium Chloride 10 %
Prepared by:
Drug Information CentreHospital Queen Elizabeth