Collective efforts drive medication error prevention, spanning training, protocols, and compliance. Despite strategies like the Five Rights of Medication Administration and National Patient Safety Goals, errors persist due to medication variety and healthcare system complexity. There is no patient care delivery area that highlights these challenges more than anesthesia. In fact, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists described it as “one of the few areas in healthcare in which medications are prescribed, mixed, relabeled and administered without safety checks and secondary verification”. Providers use various methods to identify the type of anesthesia, including ASTM color guidelines, to help minimize errors in this environment. Here’s how they can enhance safety in your operation.