Have you ever been given the wrong prescription by a doctor or pharmacy?
According to a recent publication by Dr. Rayhan A. Tariq and Yevgeniya Scherbak, PharmD, 7000 to 9000 people die each year in the United States as a result of medication errors.
The publication estimates that the cost of looking after patients with medication-associated errors exceeds $40 billion a year. Medication errors are most common at the ordering or prescribing stages. In addition, errors are also made during dispensing at the pharmacy.
In a case I handled several years ago, the pharmacy misread the doctor’s handwriting and dispensed Navane, an ant-psychotic drug, instead of Norvasc, a blood pressure medication. Unfortunately, the client took the wrong medication for over thirty days that resulted in a permanent condition known as tardive dyskinesia.
Common issues involve the healthcare provider erroneously writing the wrong medication, including dose or frequency.
I remember when I was young and small local pharmacies were the norm, not the exception. It was common for the pharmacist to make what I thought was “small talk” while he was filling the prescription. Usually the pharmacist would say something, such as “ear infections are painful.” I would reply, “I was up all night, can’t even touch my ear.”
I didn’t realize at the time that, but what they were actually doing was confirming the correct prescription was being filled. That process is known as a PDR, Pharmacist Drug Review. PDR is actually mandated by law. Today, the large pharmacy chains satisfy this requirement by having you sign the keypad, saying that the pharmacist has answered all of your questions or that you were offered a consultation with the pharmacist and waived it. You probably just check that box without ever reading it, as most do.
Maybe if the pharmacists actually talked to us for a few seconds, they could reduce some of the errors before they cause any harm. If you or someone you know was injured by improperly prescribed medication, give me a call. Consultations are always without charge.
from Personal Injury Law Journal https://www.personalinjurylawjournal.com/medical-malpractice/have-you-ever-been-given-the-wrong-prescription/
?Have you ever been given the wrong prescription by a doctor or pharmacy?
According to a recent publication by Dr. Rayhan A. Tariq and Yevgeniya Scherbak, PharmD, 7000 to 9000 people die each year in the United States as a result of medication errors.
The publication estimates that the cost of looking after patients with medication-associated errors exceeds $40 billion a year. Medication errors are most common at the ordering or prescribing stages. In addition, errors are also made during dispensing at the pharmacy.
In a case I handled several years ago, the pharmacy misread the doctor’s handwriting and dispensed Navane, an ant-psychotic drug, instead of Norvasc, a blood pressure medication. Unfortunately, the client took the wrong medication for over thirty days that resulted in a permanent condition known as tardive dyskinesia.
Common issues involve the healthcare provider erroneously writing the wrong medication, including dose or frequency.
I remember when I was young and small local pharmacies were the norm, not the exception. It was common for the pharmacist to make what I thought was “small talk” while he was filling the prescription. Usually the pharmacist would say something, such as “ear infections are painful.” I would reply, “I was up all night, can’t even touch my ear.”
I didn’t realize at the time that, but what they were actually doing was confirming the correct prescription was being filled. That process is known as a PDR, Pharmacist Drug Review. PDR is actually mandated by law. Today, the large pharmacy chains satisfy this requirement by having you sign the keypad, saying that the pharmacist has answered all of your questions or that you were offered a consultation with the pharmacist and waived it. You probably just check that box without ever reading it, as most do.
Maybe if the pharmacists actually talked to us for a few seconds, they could reduce some of the errors before they cause any harm. If you or someone you know was injured by improperly prescribed medication, give me a call. Consultations are always without charge.
from Personal Injury Law Journal https://www.personalinjurylawjournal.com/medical-malpractice/have-you-ever-been-given-the-wrong-prescription/
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