Standardizing Medication Labels

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I heard on the news last night that acetaminophen is actually the leading cause of liver failure. Even low doses taken over time may have a cumulative effect and can cause liver damage. So it got me thinking about medication labeling... are we doing a good job informing our patients of their risks? Do our patients on opioid pain relievers take Tylenol as well?

Check out this Institute of Medicine workshop summary: "Standardizing Medication Labels; Confusing Patients Less." This book is a quick read - take it with on a long flight. What I like best about it is that is encourages simplification. "Take two pills every morning at 6a.m. and two pills at 6p.m." as opposed to "Take two tablets by mouth twice daily."

It's great if you and I read it as Patient Safety Managers. But what if the P&T Chairperson read it? What if the committee took 5 ideas from the book and incorporated it into the Annual Plan? Would it change your facility medication error metrics? Would it increase patient safety?