If you’ve ever made a medication error in your pharmacy, you’re not alone. Errors can take place at any stage of the dispensing process, and when they do, don’t beat yourself over it. Sometimes they’re unavoidable. To reduce the risk of mistakes, here are some steps you can take to protect both you and your patients.
Don’t multitask. When you try to do everything at once, the risk of mistakes increases. To get things done at a faster speed, give your pharmacy team clear roles. This will lessen distraction.
Lessen stress. Going into your pharmacy each day shouldn’t be a drag. The high pressure can easily lead to stress, and that can cause you to make errors throughout the day. Have you ever considered adding a couple more staff members to your team? If that’s not an option, how about interns? Make sure your team gets breaks throughout the day and that they take them. When your pharmacy employees are focused and happy, they’ll spread that glee with all your pharmacy patients.
Listen to your instincts. Investigate a prescription if it doesn’t seem right. Call the prescriber and confirm with your patient. Document the clarification.
Get rid of clutter and get organized. Put medications back on the shelves where you found them. Be sure to separate each patient’s medications and never leave food or drinks near medications.
Talk with your patients during medication counseling. You can prevent major errors by talking to them at pickup. First, confirm who the medication is for. Then, explain how and when to take it, and ask if they have questions. This type of counseling improves safety and builds trust and adherence.
Your patients’ age and weight matters. It’s important to verify that the doses are appropriate for their age and weight, especially if they’re pediatric or geriatric. They’re more sensitive to medications.
Be sure your patients’ liver and kidneys are healthy. If their liver or kidney are impaired, it can lead to drug toxicity if doses aren’t adjusted properly.
Confirm patients’ allergies and document them. Don’t dispense a drug that your patient is allergic to. It’s one of the most preventable mistakes. Be sure patients’ allergies are clearly documented in the pharmacy system and that you have verified with the patient.
Reduce medication errors and protect both your patients and your pharmacy team simply by creating a culture that’s safe and organized. With patient engagement, you can lessen medication errors considerably. Every small change can make a big difference in your pharmacy.
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PBA Health is dedicated to helping independent pharmacies reach their full potential on the buy-side of their business. Founded and run by pharmacists, PBA Health serves independent pharmacies with group purchasing services, wholesaler contract negotiations, proprietary purchasing tools, and more.
An HDA member, PBA Health operates its own NABP-accredited warehouse with more than 6,000 SKUs, including brands, generics, narcotics CII-CV, cold-storage products, and over-the-counter (OTC) products — offering the lowest prices in the secondary market.
