High risk medicine

Medicines that have a high risk of causing injury or harm if they are misused or used in error such as Clozapine, Lithium or Valprorate are classed as high risk. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices reports that incidents rates with [high risk] medicines may not necessarily be higher than with other medicine but, when incidents do occur, the impact on patients can be significant.

Reducing harm due to high risk medicines has been identified as a priority by NHS boards in Scotland. A framework has been produced to support local teams to discuss and prioritise improvement activities to high risk medicines. The framework shares potential interventions to improve the prevention, recognition and response to harms due to high risk medicines.

• View the framework (PDF)

Care and treatment plans should reflect the medication being administered.