Preventing medication errors with nimodipine by compounding proper dosage forms.

Pharmacists can play an active role in preventing tragic medication errors by using United States Pharmacopeia standards, as well as other compounding guidelines, by using due diligence, and by following written standard operating procedures. Nimodipine is shown within this article as an example of the importance of proper dosing of a drug because, since the approval of nimodipine capsules in 1988, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has identified 31 cases of medication errors associated with its use. Pharmacists can compound nimodipine oral suspension and prepare the doses in oral syringes for the nursing and medical staff.