I’m trying to make sure that my mom doesn’t suffer a prescription mistake. What is the best time to go to the pharmacy?

 

A:

You are right to worry about someone in your family getting the wrong medication at a Texas pharmacy. Despite the use of new technologies, studies show that prescription drug mistakes are on the rise, so you should be extra careful in checking your prescription before and after it is filled.

 

There are a few different guidelines for knowing when to go to the pharmacy:

 

• Go early. Generally speaking, the best time to get a prescription filled is early in the day. The staff members have just begun their shifts, and the pharmacy is less likely to be busy during weekday mornings than after people are getting out of work. If your pharmacy only has one day a week that they open early, take advantage.
• Avoid weekends. Many people use Saturday and Sunday mornings to run errands, including getting their medications refilled. The pharmacy may have more staff on hand to cope with the customers, but they will also be far more busy. 
• Wait a week. If you can, avoid getting your prescriptions filled in the first week of the month. A study examining U.S. death certificates discovered that medication error death rates spiked by 25% at the beginning of each month. One reason for this could be that many people receive aid checks, such as Social Security, at the end of the month, increasing the prescription volume and making it more likely that an error will occur.

 

If you need more information on your Texas prescription drug error case, our attorneys would be happy to help. 

Call Kennedy Hodges today at (888) 526-7616 or click the link above to receive a FREE copy of our report, How to Make Pharmacies Pay for Injuries Caused by Medication Errors.