Hospitals are being urged to prepare for medication safety risks tied to large international events such as the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games, which can drive surges in global patient volumes, according to guidance from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices.
The influx of international patients can introduce unfamiliar drug names, languages and dosing practices into U.S. care settings, increasing the risk of medication errors and creating new operational challenges for clinicians and pharmacy teams.
The U.S., Canada and Mexico are set to host the 2026 World Cup, and Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Here are four key notes from the ISMP:
- Patients may arrive with medications labeled in different languages or with unfamiliar brand and generic names. Differences in drug names, strengths and formulations can increase the risk of selection errors, under- or overdosing and unintentional duplication or omission of therapy.
- Clinicians may need to make treatment decisions with incomplete or unclear medication histories, increasing the likelihood of errors.
- The ISMP recommends establishing clear escalation pathways and involving pharmacy teams when medication information is uncertain.
- Hospitals should expand interpreter services and develop internal resources to verify unfamiliar drugs and dosing.
