Dear Ms. Khan,
Thank you very much for your 11 January 2010 Los Angeles Times article on
measuring oral liquid medications accurately ("Common tablespoons may not
accurately measure medicine"). The issue you raised includes another problem:
the continued use of two different systems of measurement in the U.S. .
For many years, physicians and pharmacists have prescribed and prepared
medications in the metric system, but converted the dosing units into household
measurement units for the "convenience" of the public (teaspoonsful or
tablespoonsful). This duality of measurement has sometimes led to serious
medication errors when the doses are translated into the wrong number of
measurement units for the patient. In May 2009, the Institute for Safe
Medication Practices (ISMP) called for the exclusive use of the metric system
in the prescribing process: that is, the use of only metric units in ordering,
dispensing, labeling, and verbal instructions to the patient.
Combined with your wise suggestion to use the proper measuring device, ISMP's
proposal will go a long way toward reducing medication measurement errors in
the U.S. But, an even better protection against errors would be the
long-postponed U.S. changeover to the metric system of measurement, so that
there would be only one measurement standard for the Nation (see
www.metric.org).
Sincerely,
Paul Trusten, R.Ph.
Public Relations Director
U.S. Metric Association
www.metric.org
