Which of the following describes the proper practice when administering high-alert medications to prevent errors?

• A. Rely on memory for dosing.
• B. Skip verification to save time.
• C. Change dosage based on patient preference.
• D. Perform a double-check with a second clinician for critical steps.

Answer: (D)

High-alert medications carry a greater risk of causing serious harm if an error occurs, so the safest practice is to have an independent verification by a second clinician before administration. This double-check involves confirming the patient’s identity, the exact medication, the dose, the route, and the timing, as well as any calculation, infusion rate, and compatibility details for IV therapies. The two clinicians compare the order, MAR, and calculations and only proceed once both agree. This independent check is designed to catch mistakes that could slip by a single clinician, such as dosing errors, wrong drug, or wrong route. Relying on memory, skipping verification, or changing a dose based on patient preference are unsafe practices for high-alert meds and do not provide the necessary safeguard.