Which of the following is NOT acceptable according to The Joint Commission's "Do Not Use" list?

The choice of writing a medication dosage as 5.0 mg is actually acceptable according to The Joint Commission's "Do Not Use" list. The guideline specifies that trailing zeros should be avoided to prevent medication errors; therefore, writing dosages with a decimal and a trailing zero increases the risk of misinterpretation (for example, misreading 5.0 mg as 50 mg).

In contrast, the use of "U" for unit, "QOD" for every other day, and "MS" for morphine sulfate are all considered unsafe abbreviations that should be avoided. "U" can be easily misread, "QOD" may be confused with "QD" (daily), and "MS" might be misinterpreted as "magnesium sulfate." Thus, those terms are included on the "Do Not Use" list to enhance patient safety and minimize the risk of errors in medication administration. The rationale behind this list is to standardize communication and reduce potential hazards in clinical settings.