Errors in Hospital

[Asterix]

Just reading all previous threads, one question popped into my head. Do dispensing mistakes ever happen in hospital pharmacy. I have never heard of it, only ever hear of errors in community. It seems ridiculous the number of times someone is getting prosecuted within community pharmacies for dispensing errors.

[PinkGlitter]

Very less likely as it's very slow paced and checked by lots of different people. I couldn't believe how slow it was when I did my pre-reg there. Patients were taking up a bed for a further night just because pharmacy hadn't got the meds TTA ready for when transport were due to take them home. Absolutely crazy. I could've done it in less than 5 mins in community.

[Asterix]

Very less likely as it's very slow paced and checked by lots of different people. I couldn't believe how slow it was when I did my pre-reg there. Patients were taking up a bed for a further night just because pharmacy hadn't got the meds TTA ready for when transport were due to take them home. Absolutely crazy. I could've done it in less than 5 mins in community.

is the pharmacist to be blamed if a mistake does happen as he/she could be on ward rounds know. Surely checking it that slow is good too right?

[Tony Schofield]

It seems ridiculous the number of times someone is getting prosecuted within community pharmacies for dispensing errors.

How often are pharmacists and technicians being prosecuted for errors? Are you saying that the prosecution is ridiculous or the volume of prosecutions? I am not aware of a great increase, do you know something I don't?

[SolomonQ]

in alot of hospitals, pharmacist's arent involved with the checking process, they have ACTs doing all that, and I think recently there's been a surge in the negative media the pharmacy sector has got but I dont think there has been any surge in prosecutions or striking off of pharmacists, in fact i'm surprised that certain pharmacists are still practicing, with regards to legal aspects to their pratice. e.g. I know of this one pharmacist, a story I heard from the pharmacy staff, basicly the pharmacist stole about £1000 from the pharmacy aswell as large quantities of schedule 4-5 drugs. He even admited to it by writing a letter of apology, which I found really funny, last time I checked maybe a week ago this person was still on the register.

[Tony Schofield]

in alot of hospitals, pharmacist's arent involved with the checking process, they have ACTs doing all that, and I think recently there's been a surge in the negative media the pharmacy sector has got but I dont think there has been any surge in prosecutions or striking off of pharmacists, in fact i'm surprised that certain pharmacists are still practicing, with regards to legal aspects to their pratice. e.g. I know of this one pharmacist, a story I heard from the pharmacy staff, basicly the pharmacist stole about £1000 from the pharmacy aswell as large quantities of schedule 4-5 drugs. He even admited to it by writing a letter of apology, which I found really funny, last time I checked maybe a week ago this person was still on the register.

That is one hell of an allegation Solly. For one who has been on the register as long as you have I would have to question how you can say what actually does go on in "a lot of hospitals" other than heresay.

Why would this "person" not be on the register? Unless he/she was prosecuted why would the RPSGB know anything about his case? How long do you think these things take to process?

Is the person being prosecuted? Did they actually steal what you believe they stole?

The NHS takes no prisoners when dealing with people at that level of the food chain. Unless this person is prosecuted I don't believe the story you relate.

[Lazy Nite]

Have you worked in ‘a lot of hospitals’….how can you make such comments?

Yes, I agree you have many ACT’s in hospital, but every hospital is different.
However, there are FOUR stages in the dispensing process at hospital

1. Screening the prescription (always done by a pharmacist) who will endorse the script with any additional labeling directions, quantity, and product to help speed up the process and reduce errors.
2. Labeling
3. Dispensing (having a robot does help to minimise errors)
4. Checking – can be done by the ACT or pharmacist.

A different person is needed for each stage to minimise errors

Errors are still possible, but there many stages and ppl involved preventing this.
I have not come across an ACT who is clinically screening prescriptions in the dispensary

[SolomonQ]

[QUOTE=Tony Schofield;19548]That is one hell of an allegation Solly. For one who has been on the register as long as you have I would have to question how you can say what actually does go on in "a lot of hospitals" other than heresay.
QUOTE]

firstly, i'm talking about the ACCURACY CHECKING in a hospital pharmacy, and i'm sure all hosiptal pharmacist's here can confirm this. My own sources of information are: all the hospital pharmacists I talked to during hospital visits from uni, friends who have done hospital pre-reg and are in hospital, my own one week placement where I was shown and told what was going on i.e. the Rx came in which was clinically checked by the pharmacist on duty then the dispensers and ACTs took care of the rest.

to say the least, you don't need 10 years of experience in hospital pharmacy to make a claim about who does what, all you need is a few friends in hospitals in the relevant positions to tell you they dont have to do any checking, and that is sufficient, isn't it???

Unless he/she was prosecuted why would the RPSGB know anything about his case? How long do you think these things take to process?

Is the person being prosecuted? Did they actually steal what you believe they stole?

The NHS takes no prisoners when dealing with people at that level of the food chain. Unless this person is prosecuted I don't believe the story you relate.[/

the case was actually reported to the police and the RPSGB, who both came down to take statements. I first heard of the case indirectly but then had to locum in the pharmacy for a week and I heard about the story from many different sources, I don't wanna reveal more about the case but my sourecs include more than just dispnsers and counter staff, but I think my sources about what you call "allegations" are quite reliable, and the pharmacist actually wrote a letter of apology, stating that his actions were caused by his addiction to a substance of misuse. That pharmacy doesn't really store many CDs so all he had his hands on were the schedule 4 barbiturates.

Why would this "person" not be on the register?

beause of the nature of the incident(s), I thought he would atleast be suspended until the hearing happens, and he is found guilty or not guilty.

[ramroum]

in alot of hospitals, pharmacist's arent involved with the checking process, they have ACTs doing all that,.

This is incorrect, Pharmacists check a great number of prescriptions too.
Dispensing errors happen at hospitals, but mainly picked up on the ward by nurses giving patients their meds, by other pharmacists or techs on ward level, or are discovered after a few days if patient is not improving or getting worse.
Maybe mistakes are less than in community because as mentioned before the preocess is much slower.
You would only hear about an error if it caused a agreat harm or death to a patient.

[Rafael]

dispensing errors are less in hospital compared to community, simply because 80% of the pharmacists work in community! this is around 30000 pharmacists compared with 7000-8000 pharmacists working in hospitals ( if not less).........