Safety Considerations 
for Product Design to 
Minimize Medication 
Errors 
 
Guidance for Industry 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
Food and Drug Administration 
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) 
 
 
 
April 2016 
Drug Safety 
 
   
 
 
Safety Considerations 
for Product Design to 
Minimize Medication 
Errors 
 
Guidance for Industry
 
 
 
 
Additional copies are available from: 
Office of Communications 
Division of Drug Information 
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research 
Food and Drug Administration 
10001 New Hampshire Ave., Hillandale Bldg., 4th Floor 
Silver Spring, MD  20993-0002 
Phone:  855-543-3784 or 301-796-3400; Fax:  301-431-6353 
Email:  druginfo@fda.hhs.gov 
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/default.htm 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
Food and Drug Administration 
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research 
 
 
April 2016 
Drug Safety  Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 
 
 
Table of Contents 
 
 
I.  INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 
II.  BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................ 2 
A.  Recommendations to Minimize Medication Errors ............................................................ 3 
B.  Safety by Design:  A Systems Approach to Medication Error Prevention ......................... 4 
III.  WHAT TO CONSIDER AT EARLY STAGE OF DRUG PRODUCT DESIGN TO 
MINIMIZE MEDICATION ERRORS ............................................................................... 4 
A.  End Users and Environments of Use .................................................................................. 6 
B.  Drug Product-User Interface ............................................................................................... 8 
IV.  PROACTIVE RISK ASSESSMENTS ............................................................................. 15 
A.  Failure Mode and Effects Analysis ................................................................................... 16 
B.  Simulated Use Testing ...................................................................................................... 17 
V.  CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 17 
GLOSSARY  ......................................................................................................................... 19 
i  Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 
 
Safety Considerations for Product Design to Minimize         
Medication Errors 
 
1
Guidance for Industry  
 
 
This guidance represents the current thinking of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) on 
this topic. It does not create any rights for any person and is not binding on FDA or the public. You can 
use an alternative approach if it satisfies the requirements of the applicable statutes and regulations. To 
discuss an alternative approach, contact the FDA office responsible for this guidance as listed on the title 
page. 
 
 
 
I.  INTRODUCTION 
 
The recommendations in this guidance apply broadly to the development of drug and biologic 
products.  Accordingly, this guidance is intended for sponsors of investigational new drug 
applications (INDs); applicants of new drug applications (NDAs), biologics licensing 
applications (BLAs), abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs);2 and manufacturers of 
prescription drugs marketed without an approved application or over-the-counter (OTC) 
monograph drugs.  This guidance provides a set of principles for using a systems approach to 
minimize medication errors relating to product design and container closure design and thus 
enhance patient safety.     
 
The recommendations in this guidance document are intended to provide best practices on how 
to improve the drug product and container closure design for all prescription and nonprescription 
drugs and biologic products regulated by the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER),  
which are referred to collectively in this guidance as products.3  The guidance also provides 
examples of product designs that have resulted in postmarketing medication errors.  Many 
                                                 
1 This guidance has been prepared by the Division of Medication Error Prevention and Analysis in the Center for 
Drug Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration. 
 
2 This guidance applies to ANDAs to the extent that the applicable product, including its underlying design and 
other development determinations, is not required to be the same as its reference listed drug (RLD). See Section 
505(j) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355(j)) and its implementing regulations. 
  
3 For drug-device combinations, there are additional considerations that should be evaluated before approval as 
defined in 21 CFR 4.2.  For additional information on product design, risk management and human factors, and 
related processes relating to medical devices and drug-device combination products, see AAMI/ANSI/ISO 
14971:2007/(R)2010, Medical devices  Application of risk management to medical devices; FDA guidance for 
industry and FDA staff Applying Human Factors and Usability Engineering to Medical Devices available on FDA 
Medical Devices guidance Web page at 
http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/DeviceRegulationandGuidance/GuidanceDocuments/default.htm. 
 
 
  Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 
 
medication errors can be avoided at the design stage by drawing on lessons learned from past 
medication errors and by conducting proactive risk assessments before marketing. 
 
This guidance does not describe how to conduct, document, and submit risk assessments, or how 
such assessments, if conducted, will be evaluated by the Agency. 
 
This guidance, which focuses on minimizing risks associated with the design of the drug product 
and its container closure system, is the first in a series of three planned guidances to minimize or 
eliminate hazards contributing to medication errors at the product design stage.  The second 
guidance focuses on minimizing risks associated with the design of drug product container labels 
and carton labeling,4 and the third focuses on minimizing risks when developing and selecting 
proposed proprietary names.5  
 
In general, FDAs guidance documents do not establish legally enforceable responsibilities.  
Instead, guidances describe the Agencys current thinking on a topic and should be viewed only 
as recommendations, unless specific regulatory or statutory requirements are cited.  The use of 
the word should in Agency guidances means that something is suggested or recommended, but 
not required. 
 
 
II.  BACKGROUND 
 
On September 27, 2007, the reauthorization and expansion of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act 
(PDUFA IV) was signed into law as part of the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act 
of 2007 (FDAAA) (Public Law 110-85).  This reauthorization of PDUFA significantly 
broadened and strengthened FDAs drug safety program, facilitating more efficient development 
of safe and effective new medications for the American public.  As part of the reauthorization, 
FDA committed to certain performance goals.6  One of the goals was to implement measures to 
reduce medication errors related to look-alike and sound-alike proprietary names, unclear label 
abbreviations, acronyms, dose designations, and error-prone labeling and packaging designs.  
These measures include publishing guidance describing practices for naming, labeling, and 
                                                 
4 FDA draft guidance for industry Safety Considerations for Container Labels and Carton Labeling to Minimize 
Medication Errors.  When final, this guidance will represent the FDAs current thinking on this topic.  We update 
guidances periodically.  To make sure you have the most recent version of a guidance, check the FDA Drugs 
guidance Web page at 
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/default.htm.   
 
5 FDA draft guidance for industry Best Practices in Developing Proprietary Names for Drugs.  When final, this 
guidance will represent the FDAs current thinking on this topic.  
 
6 See letters from the Secretary of Health and Human Services to the Chairman of the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
House of Representatives, as set forth in the Congressional Record (goals letter). At 
http://www.fda.gov/ForIndustry/UserFees/PrescriptionDrugUserFee/ucm119243.htm. 
 
 
2 
  Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 
 
packaging to reduce medication errors, after public consultation.  In June 2010, FDA held a 
public workshop and opened a public docket to receive comments on this topic.7  
  A.  Recommendations to Minimize Medication Errors 
 
In 2000, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a report entitled To Err Is Human: Building a 
Safer Health System.8  The report stated that from 44,000 to 98,000 deaths occur yearly due to 
medical errors, making medical errors the eighth leading cause of death in the United States.9  
The report identified medication errors as the most common type of error in health care.  Seven 
thousand (7,000) deaths annually were attributed to medication errors.10  In the report, IOM 
recommended that FDA:  
 
  Develop and enforce standards for the design of drug packaging and labeling that will 
maximize safety in use; and  
  Require pharmaceutical companies to test proposed drug names to identify and remedy 
potential sound-alike and look-alike confusion with existing drug names.11  
 
In addition to the IOM recommendations, the Secretary of Health and Human Services published 
a report entitled Bringing Common Sense to Health Care Regulation:  Report of the Secretarys 
Advisory Committee on Regulatory Reform (November 2002).  This report recommended that 
FDA adopt safe labeling practices for all FDA-regulated products to improve patient safety and 
decrease preventable adverse events. 
 
In July 2006, the IOM published a report entitled Preventing Medication Errors.  In this report, 
the IOM cited labeling and packaging issues as the cause of 33 percent of medication errors, 
                                                 
7 See April 12, 2010, Workshop Notice and Request for Comments (75 FR 18514), Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0168. 
 
8
 Kohn LT, Corrigan JM, Donaldson MS, eds. To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System. Institute of 
Medicine, National Academies Press: Washington DC, 2000.  
 
 
9 American Hospital Association. Hospital Statistics. Chicago. 1999.  See also: Brennan TA, Leape LL, Laird NM., 
et al. Incidence of Adverse Events and Negligence in Hospitalized Patients: Results of the Harvard Medical Practice 
Study I. N Engl J Med. 324:370-376, 1991; Leape LL, Brennan TA, Laird NM, et al. The Nature of Adverse Events 
in Hospitalized Patients: Results of the Harvard Medical Practice Study II. N Engl J Med. 324(6):377-384, 1991; 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (National Center for Health Statistics). Births and Deaths: Preliminary 
Data for 1998. National Vital Statistics Reports. 47(25):6, 1999, cited in To Err Is Human, p. 1.  
 
10 Phillips, DP, Christenfeld, N, and Glynn, LM. Increase in US Medication-Error Deaths between 1983 and 1993. 
The Lancet. 351:643-644, 1998, cited in To Err Is Human, p. 2.  
 
11 This effort is also consistent with FDAs May 10, 1999, report to the FDA Commissioner titled Managing the 
Risks From Medical Product Use, which underscored the importance of providing an adequate risk assessment 
associated with the use of drug products, including a mandate to reduce medication errors from proprietary name 
confusion. 
 
 
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including 30 percent of fatalities from medication errors.12   The report stated that [p]roduct 
naming, labeling, and packaging should be designed for the end user  the provider in the 
clinical environment and/or the consumer.13   The report also urged the Agency to incorporate 
principles of cognitive and human factors engineering in its review process to address issues 
concerning information presentation in labeling and naming.14  
B.  Safety by Design:  A Systems Approach to Medication Error Prevention 
 
Drug product design features that predispose end users to medication errors may not always be 
overcome by product labeling or health care provider or patient15 education.  It is therefore 
preferable to eliminate, or minimize to the extent possible, these hazards from the product 
design.  It is not possible to predict all medication errors; however, medication errors can be 
minimized by conducting premarketing risk assessments to evaluate   how users will interact 
with the drug product within various environments of use within the medication use system.    
using well-established human factors engineering analytical methods.  
 
Error prevention in manufacturing is not a new concept.  Corrective and Preventive Action, 
Change Control, and Quality Risk Management are well-recognized elements of current good 
manufacturing practice (CGMP) for drug products that focus on investigating, understanding, 
and correcting identified risks and managing the changes necessary for correction to prevent 
their recurrence while preventing unintended consequences.16  The same principles can be 
applied to the overall design of a drug product to identify and eliminate design features that may 
contribute to medication errors. 
 
FDA expects manufacturers to consider the use of these analytical methods when developing 
drug products to build safety into drug product throughout its lifecycle and to identify those 
safety characteristics of the product that they consider to be critical.   
 
 
III.  WHAT TO CONSIDER AT EARLY STAGE OF DRUG PRODUCT DESIGN TO 
MINIMIZE MEDICATION ERRORS 
 
For a drug, the product design and user interface typically include the following elements: 
                                                 
12 Aspden P, Wolcott JA, Bootman JL, Cronenwett LR, eds. Preventing Medication Errors. Institute of Medicine, 
The National Academies Press: Washington, DC. 2006. Chapter 6, p. 275. 
 
13 IOM, Preventing Medication Errors. Chapter 6, Recommendation 4, p. 280. 
 
14 IOM, Preventing Medication Errors. Chapter 6, Actions to Improve Drug Naming, Labeling, and Packaging, pp. 
281-282.  
 
15 In this document the term patient refers to the patient and consumer to address end users of both prescription 
and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. 
 
16 FDA guidance for industry on Quality Systems Approach to Pharmaceutical CGMP Regulations.  
 
 
4 
  Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 
 
  active ingredient  
  strength  
  dosage form  
  product appearance  
  size17  
  shape  
  palatability  
  storage and handling 
  indication 
  type of container/closure used to package the product  
  the label affixed to the container/closure 
  secondary packaging such as outer carton or overwraps into which the container/closure 
is placed 
  the labeling information describing the dose, preparation, and administration that 
accompanies the drug product  
 
The term user interface is used to refer to all components of a product with which a user interacts 
(e.g., sees and touches), such as labels and packaging, and the container/closure system interacts, 
such as controls and displays.  How a user locates and interprets the information necessary to use 
the product is critical to the products safe and effective use.  Because labeling, packaging, and 
nomenclature have been identified as key system elements that have great influence on 
medication use, any weaknesses or failure in the design of these elements can cause medication 
errors that lead to patient harm.18,19  Therefore, the goal is to design a drug product that enables 
safe and correct use and eliminates or reduces design elements which could cause use related 
hazards.    
 
In order to identify and assess potential medication errors, the product designer must understand 
how the drug product will be used, including who will handle or use the product, , the chronicity 
of use, the environments of use, and how the end users will interact with the drug product (e.g., 
the product, container closure, container label, and accompanying labeling).  Additionally, it is 
necessary to consider any regulatory or professional standards that may apply to the preparation 
and administration of the type of drug product.  To ensure that the proposed product is safely 
used, these factors should be considered at the start of and throughout product development 
before the design is finalized.  Iterative modifications to the product design can be made 
throughout development in the interest of avoiding medication errors.   
                                                 
17 FDA guidance for industry Size, Shape, and Other Physical Attributes of Generic Tablets and Capsules. 
 
18 Cohen, Michael R., ed.  Medication Errors, 2d ed.  Washington, DC:  American Pharmacists Association.  
Chapter 4  Causes of Medication Errors; System elements implicated in Errors, p. 56. 
 
19 Institute of Medicine, To Err is Human  Building a Safer Health System (1999) and Preventing Medication 
Errors (2006). 
 
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  Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 
 
  A.  End Users and Environments of Use  
In U.S. health care, there are many process steps involved in the procurement, preparation, 
dispensing, and administration of a drug product.  A drug product can have multiple end users 
with different levels of education and training across multiple environments of care.  
End users need to perform critical tasks correctly in order to use the drug product safely and 
correctly.  End users could include anyone involved in routine procurement, stocking, storage, 
and administration of the drug product, such as the patient or patients caregiver, the prescribing 
physician, nurse, pharmacist, or pharmacy technician, among others.  Products should be 
designed so that foreseeable end users can perform critical tasks using the drug product-user 
interface without making unintentional medication errors and without being exposed to 
unnecessary safety hazards.  Considering the end users and environments of use during drug 
development can allow identification of hazards that could lead to medication error during actual 
use.  Because the environments of use are unlikely to adapt to accommodate a particular product, 
the drug product design and user interface should fit the end users needs within the typical 
environments of use.  You should not expect that the end users or the environments of use will 
change to fit the use of the drug product.  
There may be multiple environments of use depending on the medication and indication.  
Common environments of use for drug products include the following:  
  hospitals  
  long-term care facilities 
  physician offices  
  dialysis centers  
  other free-standing outpatient care centers 
  retail pharmacies 
  retail outlets for OTC drugs 
  specialty pharmacies 
  emergency transport  
  patient homes   
These environments of use may also contain a variety of sub-environments.   For example, a 
hospital environment of use can include the pharmacy, operating room, emergency department, 
patient unit, critical care facilities, and outpatient clinic.  To the extent possible, consider how the 
use of the product may differ in varying typical environments of use for the product under 
development. 
There also may be many environmental factors that could influence medication use within each 
of these settings, such as equipment, tools, computer software, lighting, distractions, workplace 
interruptions, background noises, institutional policies, common professional standards, and 
procedures.  To the extent possible, these factors, if relevant to the use of the product, should 
also be considered with respect to how they might affect the products safe use.  
 
 
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When designing a product, you should consider the following factors with respect to your 
analysis of the intended user population and environments of use.  This analysis informs drug 
product design and enables you to make choices that can avoid elements that may predispose the 
product to medication error.   
 
1.  End Users 
 
The following questions should be considered with respect to identifying the composition of the 
end user groups and understanding the use tasks for each end user group: 
 
  Is there a single end user group or are there multiple end user groups that might use the 
product differently (e.g., physicians, pharmacists, nurses and/or patients)? 
 
  Are end users diverse in a variety of factors such as age (e.g., pediatric, adult, and 
geriatric patients), education, experience, or training?  
 
  How complex is the proposed product?  Does it take multiple steps to deliver the 
product?  Is extensive manipulation by the end users required? Is user training expected 
or required? 
 
  What critical tasks must end users perform?  Do critical tasks differ between end user 
groups? 
 
  What characteristics might the end users have that could affect their ability to use the 
drug correctly (e.g., physical strength, stamina, dexterity, flexibility, coordination, vision, 
hearing, memory, disease state, mental clarity, ability to swallow, tolerance of 
medications that are unpalatable or difficult to swallow or ingest)? 
 
  Does the end user require a specific skill set to use the product and administer the product 
safely?  Is this skill set similar or dissimilar for closely related products? 
 
  What is the end users understanding of the product or similar products?  Is knowledge 
gained from previous use of the same or closely related products, or non-similar products 
packaged in similar container closures, likely to influence users understanding or 
expectations of the product under development? 
 
2.  Environments of Use 
 
The following questions should be considered with respect to the environments of use so that the 
product has an optimal design for typical environments of use: 
 
  In what environments might the product be used?  What are the typical lighting levels, 
noise levels, distractions, physical environments, and available technology?  What else 
might the end users be attending to while using the product?  How likely are the end 
users to be distracted when using the product? 
 
 
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  How are drugs stored and obtained within this environment?  Are there other areas where 
the product might be used or stored that are not typical? 
 
  Are other, similar products also used within this environment (e.g., same or similar drug 
class, same or similar packaging design)?  If so, is their use similar to use of the product 
being proposed?  Have medication errors been associated with the use of similar products 
in this environment?  
 
  Is the product a variant of something already used in this environment (e.g., extended 
release dosage form of an existing immediate release product)?  Do the products have 
characteristics that might make the variation between these products difficult to 
distinguish, allowing possible medication errors to go undetected (e.g., color, shape, size, 
taste, smell, etc.)? 
 
  Is this product atypical for use within this environment?  What impact will the 
introduction of this new product have within this environment? 
 
  Are there established standard practice guidelines for dispensing and administration of 
the product or similar products? 
B.  Drug Product-User Interface 
 
The most effective strategies to address use-related medication errors focus on improvements to 
the design of the drug product-user interface.  A well-designed user interface facilitates correct 
actions and prevents or discourages actions that could result in medication error.  Safety by 
design should be considered at all steps in the development process, especially when making 
decisions on what the finished dosage form of the drug will be, what physical characteristics it 
will have, and what type of container closure will be used for marketing. 
 
It is critical to evaluate what effect each design choice and modification will have on the end 
user.  At the early stages of a drug products development, the primary focus is generally on the 
products clinical safety and efficacy.  It is at this time that the indication, patient population, 
dosing, finished dosage form, and strength are usually established.  Many decisions regarding the 
design of a drug product are driven by clinical studies and manufacturing constraints to ensure 
that the drug product is safe and effective and meets CGMP quality standards.  However, certain 
product modifications based on manufacturing constraints or clinical issues may inadvertently 
create the opportunity for medication error when the finished dosage form of the drug product is 
finalized.  Additionally, influences independent of clinical and manufacturing constraints, such 
as marketing considerations, may also affect product design.  Relying solely on controlled 
clinical trials to evaluate product performance and user interactions is often an inadequate means 
of assessing a products performance from a users perspective because the controlled 
environments in place during clinical trials do not reflect actual use conditions in which the 
product will be made available to patients.  Therefore, user interaction data obtained during 
clinical trials may be inadequate to assess whether a drug product can be used safely and 
correctly.  Simulated use studies with representative users from the intended end-user population 
may be more suitable for this purpose. 
 
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A proactive risk assessment should start with an evaluation of why and how problems have 
occurred with similar products and should be conducted before finalizing the physical design 
features of a drug product.  You can obtain medication error report information from FDAs Web 
site, other regulators, your own safety databases, and published literature. When identified early, 
error-prone features can be eliminated from the design so that the same type of medication error 
does not occur with the product under development.  Once a drug product reaches the final 
stages of development, it may be difficult to change product features such as shape, size, 
strength, and dosing because such changes may require the collection of additional clinical or 
chemistry, manufacturing, and controls data to support even minor modifications.  Should 
sponsors have questions or desire feedback on specific product designs, they should contact FDA 
to request clarification or input as soon as possible. 
 
The following sections provide examples of known problems and medication errors due to 
design of the drug product and container closure systems.  These medication errors could have 
been avoided if product modifications had been evaluated using proactive risk assessments 
before finalizing the design.  Sponsors should consider the lessons learned from these 
experiences to help minimize risks associated with drug product designs and container closure 
systems.   
 
1.  Points to Consider During Development of the Product Dosage Form Design  
 
  Solid Oral Dosage Forms 
 
If multiple strengths are being developed to cover the therapeutic dosing range, 
ideally they should look different from each other (e.g., color, shape, size, 
imprint).  Adequate differentiation may reduce the risk for harm if an overdose or 
underdose occurs due to administration of an incorrect strength.  Solid oral dosage 
forms that look similar to one another have led to the dispensing and 
administration of the wrong strength of a drug product (look-alike errors). 
   
  The imprint code may be critical to identifying the product when the dosage form 
is separated from the commercial product packaging.  It is important to avoid the 
use of similar imprint codes and to consider how the codes are imprinted on 
multiple products within product lines.  It is also important to ensure they are 
legible.  Also, if possible, consider using the product name along with a numeric 
code or product strength to help distinguish different products with similar 
imprint codes.  Absence of the imprint code or an imprint code that is difficult to 
see or identical or similar to imprint codes of other products have contributed to 
the dispensing and administration of the wrong drug product and wrong strength.  
 
  While the use of symbols, lines, and other graphics as part of an imprint code may 
help to uniquely identify a product, in some cases such graphics have led to 
difficulties in identifying a solid oral dosage form.  Electronic databases that are 
used to identify drug products generally use alphanumeric searches to cross-
reference imprint codes to drug products.  Also, descriptors on patient information 
 
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(labels and Instructions for Use) may be less ambiguous if alphanumeric codes are 
used.  Moreover, the use of lines as part of an imprint code has been 
misinterpreted as a score mark for splitting of tablet or the Arabic numeral 1.  
Including a letter or number as a part of the imprint code, while not required 
under 21 CFR 206.10, is encouraged to reduce medication errors by increasing the 
reliable identification of drug products compared to a symbol or logo by itself. 
 
  Avoid product designs that resemble candy (e.g., a lollipop). 
 
  Consider the size, coating, and palatability of oral products.  A drug product can 
become a choking hazard due to the size of the tablet or capsule.  If the tablet or 
capsule coating is too sticky, it can become lodged in the patients throat or 
gastrointestinal tract.  Tablets that have a larger cross-sectional area (e.g., tablets 
that are thicker, wider, or more spherical) would generally be more difficult to 
swallow than tablets of the same volume but with smaller cross-sectional areas.  
Tablet coating, weight, surface area, disintegration time, palatability, and 
propensity for swelling should also be considered when designing oral products to 
avoid medication errors related to swallowability and patient compliance.20 
 
  Hardness or friability of tablets should be evaluated before marketing.  Excessive 
hardness of tablets has led to medication administration errors.  FDA has received 
reports of chewable tablets being too hard to chew and breaking teeth and 
dentures and of tablets being too friable to remove intact from a blister pack.  
 
  During development of an extended or delayed release product, it is helpful to 
make the strengths of the extended or delayed release product different from those 
of immediate-release products.  Having distinct strengths may help minimize the 
risk of medication errors in prescribing, such as omission of modifiers or incorrect 
use of modifiers, leading to dispensing and administration of the immediate-
release product instead of the intended extended- or delayed-release product.  The 
risk for medication error can be increased when strengths overlap or the strength 
of the extended release product is achievable from the marketed immediate-
release product strength. 
 
  Tablet Scoring   
 
  Ensure that tablet scoring is consistent with the recommended dosing.  Scores that 
produce doses that are incongruent with the dosage and administration of a drug 
have led to medication dosing errors and should be avoided.  For example, the 
dosing of a drug may be in 10 milligram (mg) increments, yet the score produces 
halves that yield 5 mg when 5 mg is not a recommended dose.  
 
                                                 
20 See FDA guidance for industry Size, Shape, and Other Physical Attributes of Generic Tablets and Capsules. 
 
 
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  The users ability to break the tablet should be tested with the intended patient 
population.  Tablets that are physically difficult for the end user to split along the 
score line, and splits that do not produce an even distribution of drug, have led to 
medication dosing errors (for example, a 15 mg tablet that is scored, but yields 9 
mg in one portion and 6 mg in the other).21   
 
  Tablets that should not be split for reasons relating to product performance should 
not be scored.  Tablets that should not be split but contain a score or score-like 
markings (e.g., lines and other symbols) have resulted in adverse events related to 
inappropriate absorption of the drug because they were split.  Examples of 
products whose performance may be altered by splitting include extended or 
delayed release dosage forms, abuse-deterrent formulations, and friable tablets.   
 
  Transdermal Systems 
 
  Sponsors should consider how a transdermal product will be handled by the 
patient, health care professional, and/or caregiver.  Transdermal systems should 
incorporate a drug-free area or peel-away backing that would provide protection 
against accidental exposure to the drug when handled or applied.  Problems can 
also arise if the size of the system is too large or too small for proper manipulation 
or handling of the system during application. 
 
  Transdermal systems that are difficult to see present safety issues.  Transdermal 
systems that are clear, translucent, or colored to match human skin tones can 
make it difficult to find the patch on the patient and have led to medication 
administration errors when patients or caregivers fail to remove old systems and 
apply more than one system at a time.  Clear or translucent patches may also be 
difficult to find if they detach prematurely from a patient, thereby increasing the 
potential for secondary or accidental exposure of the drug to a health care 
provider, caregiver, or child.   
 
  Transdermal systems should include an identifying label on the backing 
membrane that includes the drug name and strength printed with ink that has 
adequate contrast and remains visible for the duration of system wear.  See draft 
guidance for industry, Safety Considerations for Container Labels and Carton 
Labeling Design to Minimize Medication Errors for additional guidance on 
labeling of transdermal systems.22 
 
 
 
                                                 
21 FDA guidance for industry Tablet Scoring: Nomenclature, Labeling, and Data for Evaluation. 
 
22 FDA draft guidance for industry Safety Considerations for Container Labels and Carton Labeling Design to 
Minimize Medication Errors.  When final, this guidance will represent the FDAs current thinking on this topic.  
 
 
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  Product Strength 
 
  Check for consistency between the drug product strength and dosing.  Developing 
a product strength that is incongruent with the dosage and administration of the 
product complicates the calculation, preparation, and administration of a dose and 
has led to medication dosing errors.  For example, developing a product with a 
usual dose of 300 mg could be a problem when the product is only available as a 
100 mg vial.  If three vials are needed to make up the full dose rather than a single 
vial, the product may be prone to medication dosing and administration errors.  
Multiple units (e.g., tablets, capsules, vials, or syringes) required to achieve a 
usual single dose have led to medication dosing errors because of users making 
miscalculations or forgetting how many units have already been administered.23  
Additionally, titration of dosing should be considered when developing product 
strengths to ensure that intermediate doses are achievable.   
 
  Dosing devices for liquid oral dosage forms should be appropriate to the doses to 
be measured.24  The principles outlined in the guidance entitled Dosage Delivery 
Devices for Orally Ingested OTC Liquid Drug Products are also generally 
applicable to orally ingested prescription liquid drug products.  Additionally, 
avoid developing an oral solution that cannot be measured with a standard dosing 
device.  The dosing device should deliver an oral solution in a volumetric unit of 
measure consistent with recommended dosing and should utilize metric units.  
Medication dosing errors have been reported when an oral dosing device is 
labeled in milligrams but the dose is prescribed in milliliters, leading to patients 
being unable to measure a specific volume of oral solution.    
 
  Intravenous Products 
 
  To the extent possible, avoid developing intravenous products already in solution 
that require a two-step dilution prior to administration.  Users might fail to dilute 
such products because they are already in solution, or they might dilute them 
incorrectly, leading to medication dosing and administration errors.    
 
  Dry powder products packaged with a special diluent are often separated from the 
diluent during product storage.  This has resulted in preparation of the product 
with the wrong diluent or an incorrect amount of diluent.  Even when not 
separated, the diluent has been administered instead of the drug.  When feasible, 
dry powder products requiring the use of special diluents should be packaged in a 
                                                 
23 Another example of incongruence between a product strength and dosage and administration would be to express 
the product strength on the label in percentage, but the dosage and administration of the drug in milligrams (see 
FDA draft guidance Safety Considerations for Container Labels and Carton Labeling Design to Minimize 
Medication Errors). 
 
24 FDA guidance for industry, Dosage Delivery Devices for Orally Ingested OTC Liquid Drug Products, addresses 
issues concerning dosing devices for OTC liquid drug products.   
 
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container closure system that allows for the drug and diluent to be physically 
linked or packaged in a ready-for-infusion solution.  
  
2.  Points to Consider During Development of the Container Closure Design 
 
The container is defined as the immediate unit, bottle, vial, ampule, tube, or other receptacle 
containing the product (see 21 CFR 600.3(bb)).  The closure is the cap, stopper, or seal.  For 
drug-device combination products, the container closure can be the physical device. 
 
Selection of the container closure should be based not only on stability and manufacturing 
considerations, but also on the ability of the design to protect against improper use.   
 
The best container closure designs are those that do not require extensive end-user training and 
that make sense for the dose, route, and method of administration.  Improper container closure 
system designs have contributed to medication errors including wrong routes of administration, 
wrong doses, and incorrect use.  Especially problematic container closure systems include those 
that are (1) incongruent with the intended dosage and administration of the product or are (2) 
atypical for similar products marketed with a different type of container closure.  These types of 
container closure systems should be redesigned because they cannot be remedied with additional 
label/labeling statements or health care provider and patient education.   
   
  Drug products should not be packaged in a container/closure system that implies or 
affords a route of administration other than the route intended, unless there are no other 
options available, because this practice has led to wrong routes of administration.   
Examples include: 
 
  Oral/topical drug products packaged in vial containers used for injectable drugs 
have led to inadvertent, intravenous administration of the oral or topical product. 
 
  Oral inhalation products packaged in capsules have led to the capsule being 
swallowed whole rather than the contents of the capsule being delivered by the 
inhalation route. 
 
  Topical products packaged in containers with closures that look similar to eye, 
ear, nasal, or oral products have led to administration of the topical product in the 
eye, ear, nose, and mouth. 
 
  To the extent possible, container closures should not look confusingly similar to those of 
other products within the same product line or a different product line.  Distinguish 
container closures by size, shape, color, tactile features, or some other means when 
possible.  Doing so will minimize potential product selection errors.  Drug products 
packaged in container closures that have a similar appearance have led to product 
selection errors in which the wrong drug or wrong strength have been dispensed and 
administered.  Examples that have contributed to product selection errors resulting in 
dispensing the wrong drug or wrong strength include, but are not limited to: 
 
 
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  Vials that have the same shape, size and same cap color that are stored 
      side-by-side or in close proximity to one another. 
 
  Blister packaging using similar graphic designs for all strengths or for all products 
within a companys entire product line. 
 
  Syringes that are the same size and contain the same fill volume but contain 
different drugs or different strengths. 
 
  Bulk or unit-of-use bottles that are all the same size or similar in size but contain 
different net quantities (e.g., 30, 60, 90 tablets).  
 
  Products that require further dilution prior to administration should not be packaged in 
containers that could afford direct administration.  Packaging products in such containers 
can lead to incorrect routes or methods of administration (e.g., a prefilled syringe may 
lead to intravenous push rather than intravenous infusion because a prefilled syringe is 
typically used for direct administration).  Additionally, dual-chambered bags or 
compartmentalized syringes have led to the administration of the contents of one 
compartment without proper mixing of the two ingredients.  Ensure that the bag or 
syringe does not support separation and consequent administration of the contents of only 
one compartment. 
 
  Small-volume and large-volume injectable products whose labeling advises against 
admixing with other drugs should be packaged in a container with a single port.  In 
situations where a single port is not possible, the secondary port should be made non-
accessible by placing an aluminum cap over the port.  Additional instructions or warning 
statements on the labels and labeling, in addition to the aluminum cap, can help to further 
mitigate the risk of medication error. 
 
  Commercial containers should not provide an amount of drug that is incongruent with 
recommended doses.  This has led to overdose with products designed with excessive fill 
volume, such as single-dose injection vials.25 
 
  The amount of residual drug in a system after use should be minimized to the lowest possible 
level.  Transdermal systems that contain a large reservoir of drug that is not depleted prior 
to removal of the system have led to adverse events, overdose, and accidental ingestion 
by children and pets, particularly when not disposed of properly.26  
 
  Drug-device combination products (such as inhalers and prefilled pens) that have an 
unusual or unexpected device operation; have inadequate protection against incorrect use; 
have confusing or complex controls, labeling, operation; or have defeatable or ignorable 
                                                 
25 See FDA guidance for industry Allowable Excess Volume and Labeled Vial Fill Size in Injectable Drug and 
Biological Products. 
 
26 See FDA guidance for industry Residual Drug in Transdermal and Related Drug Delivery Systems. 
 
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safety features have led to dose omission errors, wrong-dose errors, and errors in 
administration and should be avoided. 
 
  If container closures serve as the container labels, they should not have illegible lettering 
or make information such as product name and strength difficult to read.  Avoid container 
closures that provide poor visual contrast between the container closure material and 
label information,  such as foil, clear labels on glass/plastic syringes, or information 
etched on the syringe itself, or materials that have no affixed label but deboss or emboss 
the information directly on the container closure, such as a low-density polyethylene vial.  
These practices have led to incorrect doses and wrong-drug errors.  
 
  Thoughtful use of unit-of-use container closures (e.g., blister packaging, calendar-
packaging, sachets, and pouches) that can be dispensed intact to patients may help to 
reduce medication errors.  Such packaging may minimize certain medication dispensing 
errors that can occur when repackaging from a bulk container into patient-specific 
containers.  Some unit-of-use containers may also reduce medication administration 
errors if they are designed in a manner that improves patient adherence to the prescribed 
dosing regimen (e.g., by providing guidance on the method of administration, time of 
administration, or day of administration).  When developing unit-of-use packaging, we 
recommend that it be congruent with the dosage and administration of the product and 
carefully designed so that it does not lead to incorrect dosing.   
 
  Sponsors should ensure they comply with the Consumer Products Safety Commissions 
(CPSCs) requirements for special packaging to confer child resistance, particularly if 
you intend for the package to be dispensed directly to patients.27  The use of child-
resistant packaging helps to minimize accidental ingestions.   
 
 
IV.  PROACTIVE RISK ASSESSMENTS  
 
Proactive risk assessments that reflect human and environmental factors in drug product use 
should be employed from the earliest stages of product design to help manufacturers anticipate 
potential use-related medication errors, identify the need for iterative design modifications, and 
ensure that such modifications do not introduce unintended consequences.  Ideally, proactive risk 
assessments that employ analytical approaches (e.g., exploratory or formative evaluations and 
simulated use testing) should occur as early in the drug product design development process as 
feasible and before the product design is finalized.  Considering the end users needs, 
environments of use, and contexts of use in the development and design of a drug product 
alongside commercialization aspects can reduce post approval safety issues.   
 
                                                 
27 CPSC regulations specify standards and test procedures for special packaging under 16 CFR part 1700.  Full text 
of 16 CFR part 1700 is available at http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-
bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=f7656d60087382747f4b158e150c9b4a&n=pt16.2.1700&r=PART&ty=HTML#se16.2.
1700_12 
 
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Many tools exist to support proactive risk assessments that can help identify use-related 
medication errors and potential harm.  For products that are drug/device combinations, we refer 
you to the guidance for industry and FDA staff, Applying Human Factors and Usability 
Engineering to Medical Devices, January 2016.  
 
To identify medication error concerns relating to product design and the container closure, 
CDER staff routinely employ failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and simulated use 
testing (i.e., human factors or user testing).  We recommend that you use these tools in the 
development of your drug product so that medication errors and use-related hazards can be 
identified and remedied prior to marketing.28 
A.  Failure Mode and Effects Analysis 
    
FMEA is a systematic evaluation of the proposed product within the medication use system and 
provides an understanding of the relative impact of different types of system failures that may 
affect use-related medication error and prioritization of risk.  FMEA also provides for a 
multidisciplinary review that considers everyone in the medication use process.  This systematic 
evaluation includes: 
 
  Analyzing all steps involved in user interactions with the drug product within the 
anticipated environments of use. 
 
  Identifying potential use-related medication errors and system failures that could occur at 
each step of the medication use process. 
 
  Estimating the probability of occurrence of identified potential medication errors and 
system failures. 
 
  Assessing potential effects and the severity of consequences of identified potential 
medication errors and system failures. 
 
FMEA can be expanded to include: 
 
  Identifying mitigation strategies that can address identified risks.  
 
  Evaluating the success of the mitigation strategies at reducing risks to acceptable levels, 
either by reducing the probability that a problem will occur or by reducing the severity of 
the problems potential consequences. 
 
                                                 
28 If you have questions regarding the use of FMEA and simulated use testing, please consult the Division of 
Medication Error Prevention and Analysis. 
 
 
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We refer you to the Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care and Patient 
Safety for the recommended steps for conducting a use-related medication error FMEA.29 
  
B.  Simulated Use Testing 
 
Simulated use testing involves systematic collection of data from representative end users 
realistic use of early, interim, or final product designs, including product labels and labeling.  
Data are obtained in a variety of ways including direct observation, subjective user feedback 
(including feedback on observed or potential medication errors), and manual and automated 
measures of user performance.  
 
Simulated use testing is helpful in determining whether the product design enables or hinders end 
users to safely and correctly perform the critical tasks involved in using the product.  Simulated 
use testing seeks to assess actual use and expands results obtained through analytic approaches 
such as FMEA.  The results of simulated use testing should also be used to update the FMEA to 
include additional use-related risks that were not previously anticipated. 
 
In addition to conducting risk assessments before a product is submitted for approval, these 
assessments should also be conducted before any subsequent product modifications such as 
additions to a product line (e.g., adding an extended release formulation), changes to a currently 
marketed product (e.g., new strength, new dosage form, new packaging configuration, new 
indication, new delivery system).  If a product is being revised to address a known problem or 
medication error, the risk assessment should also consider whether the proposed change will 
introduce new types of medication errors or proliferate already known problems.  In this 
situation, it also is essential to conduct a root cause analysis (RCA) to understand the causes (i.e., 
the how and why) of the problem or medication error.  RCA, although retrospective, is another 
tool that the CDER medication error staff use when evaluating postmarking problems or 
medication errors and when evaluating proposed remedies for those problems or errors.  
Knowledge gained from evaluating RCA of a known postmarketing medication error can also be 
applied to the premarket safety assessments of other products.  FDA recommends that you also 
conduct a RCA in the design process when problems are identified.  Understanding how and why 
medication errors occur is essential to any risk assessment. 
 
 
V.  CONCLUSION 
 
To avoid safety issues and costly redesigns after a product enters the market, it is important to 
consider the end user(s) in their environments of use early in the development and design of a 
drug product.  FDA recommends the use of risk assessments early and throughout the 
development and design of a drug product.  Identification of clinically relevant characteristics of 
the drug product during development will highlight potential areas for risk assessment.  Risk 
                                                 
29 Carayon, Pascale, ed.  2012.  Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care and Patient Safety, 2d 
ed.  Boca Raton: CRC Press.  Chap. 29  Human Factors Risk Management for Medical Products, Failure Mode 
and Effects Analysis, pp. 479-486.   
 
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assessments also are valuable for identifying potential medication errors that may result from 
postmarketing changes or additions to an already marketed drug product throughout its lifecycle.  
 
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GLOSSARY 
 
Container closure system: A container closure system refers to the sum of packaging 
components that together contain and protect the dosage form.  This includes primary packaging 
components and secondary packaging components, if the latter are intended to provide additional 
protection to the drug product.  A packaging system is equivalent to a container closure system. 
 
End user: End users include, but are not limited to, the patient, patients caregiver, prescribing 
physician, nurse, pharmacist, pharmacy technician, and other individuals who are involved in 
routine procurement, stocking, storage, preparation and administration of medications.  
 
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA): A systematic, proactive tool used to define, 
identify, and eliminate known and/or potential failures, problems, and errors.30 
 
Label: As defined in section 201(k) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 321(k)), the term label means a 
display of written, printed, or graphic matter upon the immediate container of any article.     
 
Labeling: As defined in section 201(m) of the FD&C Act, the term labeling means all labels 
and other written, printed, or graphic matter (1) upon any article or any of its containers or 
wrappers, or (2) accompanying such article.   
 
Package:  A package or market package refers to the container closure system and labeling, 
associated components (e.g., dosing cups, droppers, spoons), and external packaging (e.g., 
cartons or shrink wrap).  A market package is the article provided to a pharmacist or retail 
customer upon purchase and does not include packaging used solely for the purpose of shipping 
such articles.  
 
 
 
                                                 
30 Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care and Patient Safety. Chapter 29, p.480. 
 
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