Objective The key objective of this study was to highlight the weak points in the medicine use process.

Method We collected 15 videos from eight neonatal intensive care units where staff nurses showed how medicine preparation was performed. Recorded medicines were: vancomycin (6), gentamicin (5), caffeine citrate (2) and phenobarbital (2).

Results We did not review any video without errors. In 8/15 (53.3%) videos, the same syringe was used to measure the medicine and the diluent. In 8/15 (53.3%) videos, the syringes used were not the correct size for the volume being measured. In 4/15 (26.6%) videos, the volume measured into the syringes was not checked after it was measured from vials or ampoules. In just one vancomycin preparation could the reconstitution process be described as a correct process; in the other five videos, mixing after diluent addition to the vancomycin vial was almost non-existent (less than 10 s). Mixing after the medicine and diluent were in the same syringe was also non-existent in all of the videos.

Conclusions Hospitals should provide training programmes outlining the correct preparation technique.