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Pharmacy Errors Caused by Speed, Sacrificing Accuracy

The majority of pharmacy chains tend to market speedy prescription services, promising to fill one to three prescriptions within fifteen minutes. A few pharmacies promise to fill up to ten prescriptions in ten minutes (one per minute), while others guarantee one prescription per hour.

Unfortunately, when pharmacies start focusing on speed instead of quality, the pharmacists are less likely to catch their errors. When pharmacists are given the proper amount of time to review each prescription and counsel with patients, they are less likely to make pharmacy errors. Contrarily, many pharmacists are so rushed to find the drug, count out the correct number of pills, print the labels and package the medication that they sometimes don’t have time to offer counseling services.

Faster Dispensing Times Linked to Errors in Accuracy

A recent survey by the U.S. Institute for Safe Medication Practices, in cooperation with the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), examined medication errors related to guaranteed prescription times. The findings include:

• About 50% of pharmacists at chains that guarantee fast turnaround times said they are penalized when they don’t meet the advertised time
• 23% of pharmacists said they received bonuses for meeting the advertised time guarantees
• 83% of pharmacists that work at pharmacies that guarantee a specific fill time said that the fast turnaround time has led to dispensing errors
• 71% of pharmacists surveyed would like to see state pharmacy boards regulate or prohibit time guarantees

If you or any of your family members were harmed as a result of a medication error, call Kennedy Hodges, L.L.P. at 888-526-7616 for a free consultation today with an experienced pharmacy error lawyer.