Each year, there are estimated to be approximately 1.5 million pharmacy errors across the United States. Of those, about half are later determined to have been preventable. While these figures may seem shocking, the reality is that the actual number of pharmacy errors may be much higher given lax pharmacy…
Articles Posted in Patient Safety
As Pharmacies Stop Offering Free Delivery of Medication, Errors May Increase in Maryland and throughout the US
Over the past decade, many pharmacies began to offer free shipping to encourage patients to order their prescriptions online, over the phone, or through the mail. It seems pharmacies hoped that by decreasing foot traffic in their brick-and-mortar locations, they would be able to reduce their labor costs and run…
More People Are Getting Flu Shots in Alternative Settings Across Maryland and the Rest of the US
A new study reports that flu vaccinations are occurring more frequently in alternative settings such as pharmacies, clinics, and work, as one news source reported. According to the study, patients between the ages of 18 and 64 had higher rates of early vaccination at clinics, pharmacies, and workplaces, helping to…
Steps Patients Can Take to Avoid Maryland Pharmacy Errors
Most people assume that when they go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription, the medication provided to them by the pharmacist is the same medication that their doctor prescribed. However, the reality is that each year there are thousands of reported pharmacy errors. Many of these errors result…
Steps That All Pharmacists Can Take to Reduce Dispensing Errors
Pharmacists are highly trained medical professionals, much like doctors or nurses. And under the United States’ medical system, pharmacists have a very important role to play in providing medical care to patients. Indeed, patients not only rely on pharmacists to be accurate, but also to be diligent in looking out…
CDC Discovers Shingles Vaccine Is Prone to Administration Error
Shingles is a viral disease characterized by a skin rash consisting of painful blisters that usually appear in a strip across a person’s face or body. While the symptoms of Shingles will usually go away within a few weeks, some experience nerve pain that can last years. The disease is…
Experts Hope a Bottle’s Label Design Can Decrease Prescription Errors
Prescription medications are controlled by the government for good reason. Indeed, many prescription drugs are dangerous substances that are only approved for use under strict conditions for very specific applications. It may be that a prescription drug negatively interacts with other commonly consumed medications, or that the medication itself easily…
Pharmacist Trainees Admit to Frequently Making Errors
As is the case with most professions, becoming a pharmacist involves not only getting an education but also obtaining the necessary hands-on experience. Of course, as medical professionals, pharmacists are responsible for the safety of their patients, and any Maryland pharmacy error made by a trainee can have potentially drastic…
Pharmacy Management Decisions May Place Patients at an Increased Risk of Experiencing an Error
Pharmacy errors present a serious risk of injury not just to patients who take medication that they need to keep them healthy but also to anyone who fills a prescription. In many cases, Maryland pharmacy errors involve a patient being provided with a dangerous medication that they were not prescribed.…
Handwritten Prescriptions Show High Rate of Prescription Errors
Maryland prescription errors can occur at different stages in the prescription process. One of the ways errors can occur is when a pharmacist misinterprets the doctor’s handwriting on the prescription form. Errors can also occur when a doctor handwrites a prescription but forgets to include certain pertinent information. Even when…