a small little thing - but who cares

[howe928]

came across this article, a good read
Counsel Me: Sorry, but Appearance Matters

'How do you get someone to 'care' about their work?

...But along the road to a finished prescription I sometimes get frustrated by the lack of attention to details that may not affect the final product but still indicate someone who just doesn't care enough to pay attention.

Like, for instance, the label that is slapped on cockeyed on the bottle. Same if the customer's name is mispelled or their address is incomplete.
Misspelled words on labels bug me too --- but darn it, I just don't like letting that go (although I am forced to when things are really crashing around me). I don't ask the technicians to fix these things for me -- I usually do it myself. Should I feel embarassed at my pickiness? I don't think so. I think prescriptions should look professional. I don't go complaining or chasing after the people who do these little things -- I think some people just 'care' and some don't and I'm not interested in nagging anyone.'

Is it a legal requirement for us to trasfer what is written on a prescription to a label?
e.g. Rx: take one daily for blood pressure control, will you label as
1) take one daily
2) take one daily for blood pressure control
3) take as directed
4) for blood pressure control
5) take one for blood pressure control


do you think it is professional not to bother about this little thing?



back to the main question: how could we improve a small little thing like this?





or the only solution is 'focused on cleaning up the messes behind the scenes..'

[Pharmanaut]

came across this article, a good read
Counsel Me: Sorry, but Appearance Matters

'How do you get someone to 'care' about their work?

...But along the road to a finished prescription I sometimes get frustrated by the lack of attention to details that may not affect the final product but still indicate someone who just doesn't care enough to pay attention.

Like, for instance, the label that is slapped on cockeyed on the bottle. Same if the customer's name is mispelled or their address is incomplete.
Misspelled words on labels bug me too --- but darn it, I just don't like letting that go (although I am forced to when things are really crashing around me). I don't ask the technicians to fix these things for me -- I usually do it myself. Should I feel embarassed at my pickiness? I don't think so. I think prescriptions should look professional. I don't go complaining or chasing after the people who do these little things -- I think some people just 'care' and some don't and I'm not interested in nagging anyone.'

Is it a legal requirement for us to trasfer what is written on a prescription to a label?
e.g. Rx: take one daily for blood pressure control, will you label as
1) take one daily
2) take one daily for blood pressure control
3) take as directed
4) for blood pressure control
5) take one for blood pressure control


do you think it is professional not to bother about this little thing?



back to the main question: how could we improve a small little thing like this?





or the only solution is 'focused on cleaning up the messes behind the scenes..'

My mentor always used to check if a patient had any new medication and would explain what it was for and how to take it. This was in the late '70s.
Carrying this forward - always look the PMR and take the opportunity to spot anything new or changes in strength and dose and discuss them with the patient.

[Rafael]

not legal requirement, but its the best practice in my honest opinion. a good way for the elderly to understand why are they taking these tablets, and which ones are used for which disease.

[KittyKat]

Hey Howe

I think we should not be embarassed to be nitpicking. My garage mispelled my name on my last MOT and I was well peed off. As a customer, I care great deal how things get 'slapped on' so I know how my customers/patients/clients may feel if I let these pissy little things go!

I take Rx direction as a guide what the prescriber intended to say and make sure it makes sense so if he wants 1 OD cholesterol... 'Take ONE daily for cholesterol' it is.

You are right, sometimes I feel a bit bad to send labels back for relabelling. You should see the hospital ACTs, they have no problem to send stuff back 3 times until exactly to their 'taste'. At the end of the day, I would not let go anything that does not feel right.

But it's just the way I do things.

[jaymags]

If the Rx says "take one for blood pressure control" then that is what should be put on the label. Thats what we do, put down what is on the Rx.
Some elderly patients ask that we write on the box, in large letters, BLOOD etc, etc so they know which is which.
Bad spelling always gets my goat, anywhere.