From the January 2007 issue

In reviewing medication errors over the years, mix-ups between Pfizer’s antihistamine ZYRTEC (cetirizine) and Eli Lilly’s antipsychotic ZYPREXA (olanzapine) seem to spike in the winter months. We have noticed a similar spike during the spring allergy season. Mix-ups between these two medications have caused serious patient harm. Patients who receive Zyprexa in error have reported dizziness, sometimes leading to fall-related injuries, and patients on Zyprexa for a behavioral health illness have relapsed when given Zyrtec in error. Therefore, we recommend that you take time this month to notify prescribers, nurses, pharmacists, and patients about the risk of mix-ups when either drug is prescribed. Including on a prescription the purpose of the drug may help avoid mix-ups, as would storing the containers of these products apart from one another and adding reminders on containers and computer screens about the potential for error.