The segregation of all drugs by type, supported by the ISO critical care colour coding allows for effective self checking. During drug preparation, administration, and post administration. This system supports anaesthetic handovers and immediate visibility of anaesthetic progress for review throughout the procedure should urgent remedial action be required.

Segregation by drug type in a standard order supports a reduction in cognitive load for anaesthetists who routinely need to escalate their responses, deal with distracting activity and respond to volatile situations sometimes when working stressed or fatigued

Rainbow trays provide essential ‘thinking time’ by presenting the syringes and ampoules in a familiar order and clearly segregated throughout the anaesthetic process.

Evidence gathered during a usability study conducted by MD-TEC indicates an opinion that Rainbow Trays will, by providing standardised organisation:

• reduce medication error by syringe swaps
• help to manage the thinking process
• provide for effective self checking of drawn-up drugs

Additionally an observational feasibility study conducted by Almghairbi et al at Nottingham University Hospitals established that the Rainbow Trays system would not only comfortably fit within current working practices, they would also promote safer working by ‘aiding drug identification and separation and hence likely to reduce drug error and increase patient safety’

Emergency and local anaesthetics are routinely separated from general anaesthesia drugs to reduce the risk of misadministration. Generally emergency drugs can be stored separately around the anaesthetic machine or in a separate room.

Rainbow Trays emergency tray supports this regular working practice and can be used with either a standard insert tray or a secure Tamper Evident insert tray depending on where the trays need to be kept and if there is sufficient supervision for the drugs whilst they may be out of sight.

The grey tray for local anaesthetics can be adopted to accommodate a range of items and is often used as a direct replacement for the paper-pulp trays that are being withdrawn from use within surgical areas.