The Rate of Pharmacy Errors is Increasing

Everyone has ordered an entrée at a restaurant and had the wrong meal brought to their table. Not a big deal. I once had an oil change on my car and the mechanic forgot to put the drain plug back in the motor. That was more serious.

Filling and dispensing prescriptions, one would think, would have a very low rate for errors because of the potential for very serious, even lethal results. But the rate is actually alarmingly high, and getting worse.

Computers, training, and rigid procedures should make pharmacies and pharmacists very trustworthy but for some reason there are thousands of injuries and deaths every year due to mistakes in dosage, labeling, and sometimes the wrong pills in the wrong bottle.

Serious Errors

One study in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association revealed a dispensing error rate “of more than one in five prescriptions.” Last year, more than 4 billion prescriptions were filled in the U.S. and a 20 percent error rate would represent 800 million mistakes. Though most are relatively minor, some have led to disability and even death.

Another study concluded that error rates are actually getting higher, especially in large medical centers and hospitals. Errors included mistakes on labels and duplicate orders, but one of the most troubling errors was incorrect dosage for warfarin, also known as brand name Coumadin, which is a blood-thinning medication. When warfarin is administered in too-high dosages, very serious internal bleeding may occur.

From the results the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association study: Of 100 prescriptions dispensed, 22 had one or more deviation from the physician’s written order, for a 22% dispensing error rate. Three of the errors were judged to be potentially harmful when dispensed to a typical patient requiring these therapies. A total of 43 shoppers (43%) received verbal counseling, including 16 cases in which the shopper prompted counseling. All shoppers received written information with their prescription, covering an average of 90% of the required topics.

The results also included this very disturbing conclusion: Some 68% of the warfarin shoppers purchased aspirin without the pharmacist verbally warning about taking the drugs simultaneously. Conclusion: The dispensing error rate of more than one in five prescriptions is similar to the rate found in a similar study conducted 14 years ago, but counseling frequency has decreased significantly during the period.

Drive-Thru Counseling?

Most pharmacies have drive-thru windows, which makes counseling with a pharmacist very impractical. Patients should understand that taking just a few minutes to discuss side-effects and interactions with their pharmacist may prevent a harmful side-effect from occurring. Patients should also carefully examine their prescriptions to make sure they received the right medication and the correct dose.

Free Service for Victims

MalpracticeAttorneys.com is a free service to victim of pharmacy or pharmacist errors. We have partnered with highly-trained and experienced attorneys who have selected pharmacy errors and negligence as their area of practice. This very complex area of law requires a broad knowledge of pharmaceutical products and the standards of care expected from those who produce and dispense them. The first step to getting competent help if you have been harmed by a pharmacy error is to click here and register. We will be back in touch with you promptly.

Edited by Giosto Marnolez