The process of developing the National High-Risk Medicines Classification is described in an international article

The National High-Risk Medicines Classification maintained by Fimea is an information product supporting medication safety. The recent international article describes the process and content of the National High-Risk Medicines Classification.

– The international article increases awareness of the classification outside Finland. As the classification has been produced as open data in English and Swedish, it can be integrated into information systems in other countries, says Elsi Similä, Project Manager at Fimea. 

The National High-Risk Medicines Classification is available to everyone free of charge and is primarily intended for use by healthcare professionals involved in the implementation of pharmacotherapy. 

The National High-Risk Medicines Classification was developed using the Delphi method

A broad panel of experts has been involved in the preparation of the National High-Risk Medicines Classification. The classification was published in Finnish in April 2023. The project group produced a proposal for the medicines to be included in the classification based on international lists of high-risk medicines and other literature. A three-round Delphi method was used to generate the information content of the classification. The aim of the Delphi method is to achieve a sufficient consensus among experts on the topic under study. The 61 expert panelists who participated in the study represent experts in medicine, pharmacy, nursing and nursing science. 

Based on the study results, the public hearing and discussions among the project group, the project group confirmed the information content of the final classification. The classification consists of 38 medicines or groups of medicines and their serious consequences, the risks associated with the medicines and the risk points in the implementation of pharmacotherapy. 

The National Risk Medicines Classification is a general classification that provides a knowledge base on key high-risk medicines for which particular attention should be paid to their correct and safe use. The classification is intended to support clinical decision-making on pharmacotherapy and the planning and implementation of pharmacotherapy at different stages of the medication process. In addition to the properties of the medicines, the risks associated with the medicines included in the classification relate to possible deficiencies or human error in the medication process. 

More information

National High-Risk Medicines Classification 

International article (ScienceDirect)