Last updated on December 19, 2022
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
The report has been formally endorsed by the following organizations:
- Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
- Ontario College of Family Physicians
- Association of Ontario Midwives
- Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health Nurses
- Health Insurance Reciprocal of Canada
Implementation Toolkit
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 Safe Administration of Oxytocin Guideline Report
Watch the informational video about the Safe Administration of Oxytocin 11 Best Practice Recommendations:
Individual Tools
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
- Decision Tree: Disagreeing with the Plan of Care
- Decision Tree: Deciding about Medication Administration
- Pre-Use and In-Use Oxytocin Safety Checklists
- Standardized Oxytocin Order Set
- Standardized Oxytocin Medication Labels
Webinar: Safe Administration of Oxytocin
PCMCH hosted a webinar on March 7, 2022 to discuss the relaunched Safe Administration of Oxytocin Guideline Report and new Implementation Toolkit.
Speakers
- Joanna Noble, Lead Special Operations, Healthcare Safety and Risk Management – Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (HIROC)
- Dr. Mark Walker, Safe Administration of Oxytocin Project Co-lead, Obstetrician Gynecologist, Clinical Specialist, Maternal Fetal Medicine – University of Ottawa
- Lauren Rivard, Perinatal Consultant – Champlain Maternal Newborn Regional Program (CMNRP)
- Dr. Gareth Seaward, Safe Administration of Oxytocin Project QI Advisor, Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist, Deputy Director of the Fetal Medicine Unit – Mount Sinai Hospital
Additional resources
- Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) Canada’s Oxytocin to Start or Advance Labour: 5 Questions to Ask Patient Handout (Available in English & French) here
- Communication Tools and Techniques (in the Implementation Toolkit).