Can you read the following sentence?
“it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pcale” Surprisingly, many people can. This may explain why the following similar-sounding drugname pairs were frequently involved in errors / near misses in a recent survey of Irish hospitals.
The term SALADs (Sound-Alike Look-Alike Drugs) refers to look-alike and sound-alike drug names and look-alike product packaging which can cause confusion resulting in potentially harmful medication errors. The IMSN’s SALAD Bar is a comprehensive list of SALAD pairs which have been confused or have potential for confusion. It is to be read alongside the updated briefing document on SALADs in the hospital setting, which outlines the factors contributing to SALAD errors, and various strategies and actions that can be taken to reduce the risk. The list will be updated periodically. If you have any SALAD pairs from your institution which you think are relevant to the Irish setting, please e-mail enquiries@imsn.ie with “SALAD BAR” in the Subject line with details (and photographs for LOOK-ALIKE pairs) for consideration. SALAD concerns should also be reported to the manufacturers and appropriate agencies.
IMSN Briefing Document on Sound Alike Look Alike Drugs (SALADs)