reporting of dispensing errors and fear of litigation

[Mister Pharmacist]

hi
a multiple i work for, are now pushing for everyone to record all near misses, interventions and to report all dispensing errors.

I there anyone else out there worried, like me, that if you report a dispensing error you are simply documenting something you can be later sued about?

I know the people in The Society (in their ivory towers) hark on about a no blame culture and all that but then you read in the PJ about some poor pharmacist getting struck off for comitting a human error!!

Obviously errors are of concern to all pharmacists and can result in serious harm to patients, however, I can't see any incentive for reporting something, if it can result in you being deprived of your livelihood and losing everything you have studied and worked so hard towards.

concerned

Mister Pharmacist

[admin]

Do they want you to put your name to the error, or is it annonymous? If they are trying the line of "it's so we can learn from it, and stop it happenning again etc" your name does not needed to be known.

I used to work for a large multiple that recorded all errors, with name etc. If you had six near misses within a 28 day period, you had to go on a training course!

Obviously nobody does an error on purpose, and I can't help but agree with you. I have the feeling Big Brother is watching!

[Linnear]

The no blame culture is nonsense with regard to pharmacists. I will believe that the no blame culture affects us when they change the law so that a dispensing error cannot be classed as a criminal offence.

Drs don't have to face that, why should we?

It was good to see that in last weeks journal it was said that criminal prosecutions would only proceed if neglect or intent could be proven but again I will only believe that when I see it.

[admin]

Linnear

How true that is! The Pharm Soc just seem to exist to nick people! They don't help us in any way that I can see.

It was good to see that in last weeks journal it was said that criminal prosecutions would only proceed if neglect or intent could be proven but again I will only believe that when I see it.

I too will believe this when I see it. With the "no win no fee" society we have now, anyone who has the wrong drug/dose accidently given to them think they've won the lottery! A friend of mine was once involved with an error, and went round to the house herself to apologise, and put the mistake right. I don't think it was serious, and nobody took any incorrect drugs etc. The woman she saw tried to blackmail her into buying her kids a Sony Play Station!

[Zoggite]

Last month I was faxed a script for 10 oxytocin 10mg/1ml vials,one injection to be given i.m. daily, for an 85-year-old male(!) diabetic patient; I spent an hour and a half trying to get past the surgery's recorded message telling me that all their receptionists were busy, please hold the line etc...; when I finally got through, I was passed on to 3 different people before someone understood what I was querying; They promised to get back to me about it, but as it was friday...
Funnily enough, on the following monday I received a script for the same patient for oxycontin 10mg tablets, signed by a different doctor; coincidence?
Needless to say, I'm still waiting to hear from the GP who signed the first faxed script...!

[Linnear]

Last month I was faxed a script for 10 oxytocin 10mg/1ml vials,one injection to be given i.m. daily, for an 85-year-old male(!) diabetic patient; I spent an hour and a half trying to get past the surgery's recorded message telling me that all their receptionists were busy, please hold the line etc...; when I finally got through, I was passed on to 3 different people before someone understood what I was querying; They promised to get back to me about it, but as it was friday...
Funnily enough, on the following monday I received a script for the same patient for oxycontin 10mg tablets, signed by a different doctor; coincidence?
Needless to say, I'm still waiting to hear from the GP who signed the first faxed script...!

Perhaps the Dr was trying to get by the whole not faxing CDs bit by faxing a Rx for oxytocin and hoping that you'd realise what he really meant. :lol:

It staggers me sometines what Drs do. I received a fax from a Kernowdoc (Cornwall's emergency DR service) Dr for Temazepam, I rang and informed him that you couldn't fax that and he asked when that happened. I said 12-18 months ago and he said he thought that that was when gel caps were phased out!

Another one got his receptionist to date an incomplete MST Rx because he was a bit busy. I told him that if his receptionist could do it then I would have done and not sent the poor patient's wife back to the hospital.

It's all good fun though isn't it? :twisted:

[Pari]

so you have troubles with the Prescibers too? :wink: so I am not alone!
having look at the Lab results of a young lady yesterday it was not showing blood leves high at all but I don't know why the physician tell her that she is diabetic now! no bloog glucose, no FBSbad results!
Fantabulous!

[Anonymous]

All pharmacists should become doctors, you idiots!

[admin]

All pharmacists should become doctors, you idiots!

Well it's an interesting view point. Not all people want to be doctors though. The thought of blood/guts/whatever else puts a lot of people off!

Any chance of you putting a bit about yourself?

Whatever your viewpoint it's welcome here,

[Linnear]

All pharmacists should become doctors, you idiots!

I nearly became a Dr but I chickened out when they went to remove my brain. :lol: