Aussie patients at increased risk of harm from unclear surgical medication labels

Patients are at increased risk of serious harm from strong surgical drugs that have similar labels and packaging, some of Australia's leading medical minds are warning.

The Australian and New Zealand College of Anesthetists (ANZCA) have sent a report to Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration detailing a number of serious errors involving neuromuscular drugs, calling on health authorities to introduce clear labels.

These medications paralyze patients, leaving them unable to move or breathe, whilst remaining fully conscious, and place them at risk of serious psychological trauma or death if administered accidentally," Dr David Bramley from ANZCA told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Wednesday.

Bramley outlined 12 cases of the wrong surgical drugs being used in Australian hospitals in 2011 with more than 90 percent of errors due to look-alike packaging.

In 10 instances, doctors injected a completely different type of drug into patients.

"Without further intervention, it's likely these incidents will continue to cause serious outcomes for hospitalized patients," Bramley said.

Drug errors occur in as often as one in every 133 anesthetic procedures, though it could be more frequent, doctors admit.

"Time pressure, cognitive overload and distraction, coupled with look-alike drugs is a recipe for disaster," Bramley said.

Australia's medical professionals are calling for similar packing used in North America to be implemented in Australia.

Neuromuscular agents carry a red warning label on the top of the medication in the United States and Canada. Endi