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Reduce Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) Involving Narcotics and Sedatives:
Use Pre-Printed Orders with Patient-Controlled Analgesia Pumps

Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pumps are a great way for patients to safely self-administer pain medication. However, errors and adverse drug events can still occur if the dosage ordered is not correct, is misinterpreted, or is set incorrectly on the pump. Use pre-printed orders to assist prescribers in quickly selecting an appropriate dosage that is less likely to be misinterpreted than a handwritten order. If your organization has a computerized prescriber order entry system, make your PCA order set part of it.