The use of failure mode effect and criticality analysis in a medication error subcommittee

Failure Mode Effect and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) is the systematic assessment of a process or product that enables one to determine the location and mechanism of potential failures. It has been used by engineers, particularly in the aerospace industry, to identify and prioritize potential failures during product development when there is a lack of data but an abundance of expertise. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices has recommended its use in analyzing the medication administration process in hospitals and in drug product development in the pharamceutical industry. A medication error subcommittee adopted and modified FMECA to identify and prioritize significant failure modes in its specific medication administration process. Based on this analysis, the subcommittee implemented solutions to four of the five highest ranked failure modes. FMECA provided a method for a multidisciplinary group to address the most important medication error concerns based upon the expertise of the group members. It also facilitated consensus building in a group with varied perceptions.