What do studies reveal about prescription error?

A: The reason why so many pharmacy errors take place differs depending on whom you talk to. However, a recent study has shown that the primary cause of medication mistakes in Houston could be a simple ringing telephone.

In a recent study, pharmacists from different practice locations were asked questions about their working environments. The forum revealed that most mistakes stem from the same demands as any other job-but in a pharmacy, those mistakes can be lethal. For example:

• Lack of backup. Many pharmacies are understaffed, so when a tech fills a prescription, he is often the only one who has touched the order from start to finish.
• Stress. Pharmacists may fill as many as 400 orders in a single day-and are often under pressure from the pharmacy to fill even more.
• Distraction. Not only do pharmacists have to concentrate on orders, they must also be available for customer service, answering questions about dosage, side effects, or where the bathroom is.

Since these errors are easy to identify, they should be easy to correct, right? Not necessarily. The pharmacy's owners are always looking for ways to increase profit, which usually means filling as many orders as possible with less staff on hand collecting a paycheck. This business model works great for the bottom line, but results in serious oversights for the pharmacy's customers.

For more advice from an experienced Texas pharmacy error lawyer, order our free book, "How to Make Pharmacies Pay for your Injuries Caused by Medication Errors," or call Kennedy Hodges at 888-526-7616 for your free consultation.