ISMP GUIDELINES
Is your OR prepared to MEET ISMP 2025 Guidelines?
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) released a landmark set of Guidelines in 2022 focused on improving medication safety in perioperative and procedural settings. With a compliance timeline set for 2025, these Guidelines outline best practices that hospitals and surgical centers are expected to implement to reduce medication errors and improve patient safety in the OR. Now is the time to assess your readiness.
*Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). ISMP Guidelines for Safe Medication Use in Perioperative and Procedural Settings. ISMP; 2022.
Looking for solutions to help
meet ISMP Guidelines?
Codonics Safe Label System (SLS) is designed to help hospitals meet many of the new ISMP Guidelines, particularly those taking effect in 2025. SLS provides real-time, electronic safety checks and generates full-color, machine-readable syringe labels, helping to:
- Eliminate handwritten syringe labels by 2025
- Add machine-readable barcodes or RFID to all practitioner-prepared syringes by 2025
- Improve label readability and prevent syringe swaps
- Document the exact drug and concentration in the EHR
- Standardize medication labeling across perioperative workflows
SLS and SLS-WAVE:
Delivering Safety at Preparation
and Administration
Medication safety is not a single event—it’s a process. ISMP emphasizes that errors often occur due to fragmented workflows across different phases of perioperative care. That’s why the Codonics Safe Label System supports medication safety at both preparation and administration:
At Preparation (Safe Label System):
- Provides audible and visual drug verification at the point of vial scan
- Prints full-color, TJC-compliant syringe labels containing machine-readable barcodes and critical medication information
- Ensures every label complies with ISMP Guidelines 4.3, 4.4, and 4.5
At Administration (SLS-WAVE):
- Enables ‘hands-free’ barcode scanning just before drug delivery to the patient
- Supports documentation of the exact medication into the anesthesia record
(Guideline 10.13) - Helps prevent syringe swaps and ensures a second layer of verification
(Guidelines 10.10, 10.12)
By enabling both redundancy and automation, Codonics helps meet ISMP’s call for “double checks” and safeguards across the entire medication use process—from preparation through administration.
This holistic approach aligns directly with the ISMP’s emphasis on preventing medication errors that arise from haste, distractions, and fragmented communication in the OR.
Codonics SLS ensures these critical requirements are met—so your OR is ready.
SLS helps meet these specific ISMP Guidelines:
- 4.3 – Eliminate handwritten syringe labels in perioperative/procedural areas
- 4.4 – Include a machine-readable code (barcode or RFID) on all practitioner-prepared syringe labels
- 4.5 – Ensure labels include drug name, concentration/dose, preparer initials, expiration date/time
- 4.9 – Enable verbal and visual verification of medications before administration
- 10.10 – Partner with anesthesia providers to integrate barcoding into workflows
- 10.12 – Use machine-readable coding intraoperatively to confirm medication selection prior to administration
- 10.13 – Integrate machine-readable coding to support real-time EHR documentation
SLS supports compliance with Key Elements IV (Drug Labeling), VI (Device Use and Monitoring), and X (Risk Management) of the ISMP Guidelines,
delivering improved traceability, safety, and workflow efficiency in the OR.
ISMP 2025 Compliance Checklist
These labeling requirements that must be met by 2025 — here’s how SLS helps you comply:
Guideline 4.3
Eliminate handwritten syringe labels
✅ SLS prints full-color, TJC-compliant syringe labels at the point of preparation.
Guideline 4.4
Add machine-readable barcode or RFID to every practitioner-prepared syringe
✅ SLS encodes barcodes or RFID into every label—automatically and accurately.
Be Ready In 2025!
Ensure your perioperative teams are prepared. Learn how the Codonics Safe Label System can support your journey to ISMP compliance.
