The Safe Administration of Oxytocin guideline report, developed by PCMCH in 2019, outlines best practice recommendations for the safe management of pregnant patients whose labour is induced or augmented with the medication oxytocin. The objective of the report is to reduce the risk of misuse and/or mismanagement of oxytocin by addressing risk factors that have contributed to common errors in its administration. To promote a culture of safety when using this high-alert medication, 11 best practice recommendations were identified and vetted by clinical experts.
Safe Administration of Oxytocin Guideline Report (2024)
The report has been formally endorsed by the following organizations:
To support implementation of these best practices recommendations, tools and an implementation toolkit have been created. This toolkit is intended to support hospitals in identifying which best practice recommendations to prioritize and implement. It aims to support implementation by providing tools that can be applied in practice, bridging identified gaps and enhancing safety when administering oxytocin.
Download the Safe Administration of Oxytocin – Implementation Toolkit.
Download the individual tools below.
- Gap Analysis Tool (PDF)
- Gap Analysis Tool (Word)
- Oxytocin: To Help Start or Speed up Your Labour Patient Education Pamphlet – ENGLISH
- Oxytocin: To Help Start or Speed up Your Labour Patient Education Pamphlet – FRENCH
- Sample Order Set for Oxytocin Induction and Augmentation
- Decision Tree: Disagreeing with the Plan of Care
- Decision Tree: Deciding about Medication Administration
- Pre-Use and In-Use Oxytocin Safety Checklists
- Standardized Oxytocin Medication Labels
Watch the Informational Video about the Safe Administration of Oxytocin Recommendations by clicking here.
Watch the March 7, 2022 Webinar on the Safe Administration of Oxytocin Guideline Report and Implementation Toolkit by clicking here.
In March, 2023, the Safe Administration of Oxytocin project was evaluated. Click here to learn more about the evaluation of this work.
