Passion, Credibility, Commitment, Trust, Knowledge

About Us

The world’s foremost non-profit organization educating the healthcare community and consumers about safe medication practices

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) is the only 501c (3) nonprofit organization devoted entirely to preventing medication errors. During its more than 30- year history, ISMP has helped make a difference in the lives of millions of patients and the healthcare professionals who care for them.

ISMP is known and respected as the gold standard for medication safety information. It also has served as a vital force for progress. ISMP’s advocacy work alone has resulted in numerous necessary changes in clinical practice, public policy, and drug labeling and packaging.

Among its many initiatives, ISMP runs the only national voluntary practitioner medication error reporting program, publishes newsletters with real-time error information read and trusted throughout the global healthcare community, and offers a wide range of unique educational programs, tools, and guidelines.

In 2020, ISMP formally affiliated with ECRI to create one of the largest healthcare quality and safety entities in the world. The affiliation allows both organizations to work more closely together for the benefit of providers, patient advocates, governments, and most importantly, patients.

From the affiliation, a new Patient Safety Organization took form: ECRI and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices PSO. The launch of the new PSO created a single source for safety that harnesses the unprecedented expertise of each organization. Together, ISMP and ECRI bring up-to-date information and real-time guidance to assure healthcare leaders across the continuum of care that they are making the best decisions to keep patients safe. 

As an independent watchdog organization, ISMP receives no advertising revenue and depends entirely on charitable donations, educational grants, newsletter subscriptions, and volunteer efforts to pursue its life-saving work.