Right Drug – Wrong Strength

Similarities between packages can cause a dispensing error. Other causes include:

• Failure to use scanner
• Doctor error in dosage prescription
• Inconsistent use of abbreviations
• Transposition of quantity, strength and/or frequency

Prescription Quality

Pharmacists must rely upon the information supplied to them.  However a critical approach is required to deal with:-

• Unclear handwriting or instructions
• Obviously incorrect scripts.

Where information is doubtful, you should always check with the prescriber.

Interactions

Routinely check the patient's history for interactions or other warning signs.

CMI's are not a substitute for patient counseling as patients often require and expect some explanation and reassurance. Refer to the PSA's guidelines on "Consumer Medicine Information and the Pharmacist."

Prescription Repeats

Where repeats are provided by the clinician, it is inadvisable to dispense them all at once.  This type of practice is discouraged as it puts people at risk.  These risks include:-

• Large quantities of a drug in a person's household
• Prescribed medication may change but patients may continue taking old medication.

Plan Your Day

There are obvious limits on the capacity of any individual to work in an error-free manner over time.  Plan your work day and include job rotation and breaks.

Number of scripts

It is acknowledged that as the number of scripts increases the likelihood of an incident arising from a dispensing error also increases.  Obviously, the nature of the script dispensed has an influence on the time taken.  As an example, for a person to dispense 160 scripts per day at an average of three minutes per script equates to 480 minutes or eight hours.  This does not include any time for breaks or other issues.

On an ongoing basis this is a cause for concern, as the potential for a claim may increase depending on the script dispensed. 

Particular care should be exercised by pharmacists who are requested to dispense medicines extemporaneously for which there are no precedents in the standard references or who are requested to, or choose to make alternations to proprietary medicines.

Refer to:

State and Territory Pharmacy Board Guidelines

PSA's Professional Standards Click Here

Particular care should be exercised by pharmacists who are requested to dispense medicines extemporaneously for which there are no precedents in the standard references or who are requested to, or choose to make alternations to proprietary medicines.

Refer to: 

• State and Territory Pharmacy Board Guidelines
• PSA's Professional Standards Click Here