National Standard for User-applied Labelling of Injectable Medicines Fluids and Lines
Overview
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.
The Commission and the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists released a joint statement supporting user-applied labelling standardisation of injectable medicines.
Additional resource
The Factsheet Identification of neural route medicines, fluids and lines has been developed by the Commission and endorsed by the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists to assist clinicians managing neural administration of injectable medicines and fluids. This may be used alongside any implementation of ISO80369-6 compliant neural connector devices.
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.
Resources and tools
- Labelling Standard labels for viewing and printing
- Label specifications for specialist clinical areas
- Labelling Standard implementation resources
