What happens when the pharmacist can't read your prescription?

Have you ever been mystified at what your doctor wrote on his or her prescription pad, because you couldn't read the doctor's handwriting? What happens when the pharmacist can't read the prescription, either? Pharmacy and medication mistakes occur. Careless penmanship and poor transcriptions have caused an untold number of prescription errors and no one is safe from the risk.

Most common prescription errors:

• Bad handwriting
• Poor transcription
• Pharmacist malpractice

These careless mistakes cause injury, permanent problems such as seizures, loss of pregnancy, and medication interactions, even death. Learn the common prescription mistakes and three tips on how to avoid them.

Bad handwriting and prescription errors
If the pharmacist misreads what was written on the prescription pad, then you can be injured by getting the wrong medication, getting too much of the right medication, or not getting enough of that medicine. If the pharmacist is rushed due to understaffing, the important phone call to confirm what could not be read or to confirm the dosage you need because a scribble looks like a 9 instead of a 4 may well not be made.

Poor transcription and medication errors

Pharmacist Malpractice
If you need an antibiotic and the doctor writes you a prescription for that antibiotic, but the pharmacist reads it as a prescription for an anti-psychotic drug you can be made very ill. Pharmacist malpractice is one of the many ways you can be injured by medication misfills. Error reporting on medication mistakes is sporadic at best. There has been a push in recent years toward paperless offices, which includes prescriptions being sent to the pharmacy electronically. Some medications, due to their nature, must be written out on a prescription by law.

If you are the victim of a pharmacy error, or your loved one died as result of a medication mistake you may have a claim against the hospital, the dispensing pharmacy, or the doctor. Order a FREE copy of our book, "How to Make Pharmacies Pay for your Injuries Caused by Medication Errors," to learn more about what you can do to fight back. Order your free book by calling 877-342-2020 or by filling out our confidential online form.