National Inpatient Medication Chart (NIMC) - Rationale and background

In a joint communiqué, 23 April 2004, Australian Health Ministers stated:

‘To reduce the harm to patients from medication errors, by June 2006, all public hospitals will be using a common medication chart. This means that the same chart will be used wherever a doctor or nurse works and wherever the patient is within a hospital’

Errors can occur at any point of the medication management cycle, however the majority occur during prescribing (Bates et al, JAMA, 1995). Evidence indicates that errors may be reduced with better understanding of key safety principles and standardisation.

For summary rationale and pilot data visit the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality NIMC website

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