Our History
Prescribing, preparation, and administration of IV push medications is a common part of a the standard of care today. However, the lack of oversight and guidance for administration practices has led to significant variability, not only among organizations, but within and among organizations, even among individual clinical units. In 2016, in response to a growing awareness of safety concerns regarding the preparation and administration of IV push medications, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices published Guidelines for Safe Practice of Adult IV Push Medications. The guidelines detail current practices and factors that increase the risk of IV push medication errors, as well as practices to mitigate the risk of harm to patients and providers.
A group of advocates for safe practice came together in early 2020 to form the National Coalition for IV Push Safety. The Coalition formed to create awareness and implement solutions to the risks associated with the lack of staff/provider education and competency including:
Lack of standard procedures for preparation of IV doses (outside the pharmacy)
Lack of practice standards and expectations for IV drug preparation and administration
Learned workplace practices for IV push medications without sound scientific evidence; unsafe or unsubstantiated practices become the “norm” (normalization of deviance)
Lack of training and experience with the IV push route of administration for undergraduates in professional nursing programs
Lack of a detailed review of safe IV injection practices during new hire orientation
Lack of awareness and understanding (by leaders and pharmacists) as to how medications may be manipulated by clinical staff prior to administration and how IV push medications are administered