When your doctor prescribes you a medication and it is filled by your local pharmacy, you may not realize that you face a real danger caused by prescription errors. These mistakes are not rare. Each year, approximately 1.3 million Americans will suffer an injury as a result of a medication error made by a pharmacy or pharmacist. These injuries can often be devastating, and in some cases, may result in death. With so much at stake, pharmacies and pharmacists have an obligation to make efforts to the disbursement of the wrong medication to patients.
Eleven Steps Pharmacists Must Take to Prevent Prescription Errors
In general, the pharmacy and the pharmacist have an obligation to take the following steps in order to prevent a prescription error:
- Ensure that the prescription is entered into the computer correctly.
- Confirm that the prescription is correct and complete before dispersing.
- Provide thorough patient counseling.
- Conduct a thorough check of all prescriptions.
- Keep the workplace well organized.
- Reduce distractions in the workplace to the extent possible.
- Make efforts to reduce stress in the workplace.
- Ensure that heavy workloads among employees are balanced.
- Ensure that drugs are stored properly.
- Use extra caution when using zeros and abbreviations for prescriptions.
- Use extra caution when dealing with drugs that look and sound alike.
If the pharmacy or pharmacist fails to take any of these steps, the likelihood of a prescription drug error occurring increases. These errors can then lead to devastating injuries to patients taking the improper drug.
If you were injured as a result of a prescription drug error, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. These losses may include medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and physical impairment. To learn more, we encourage you to check out our free book, How to Make Pharmacies Pay for Your Injuries Caused by Medication Errors.