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]

Dispensing Errors

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]

The Blame Culture.

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]

error reporting

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]

Re: error reporting

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]

Doctors

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:

[Zoggite]

what's the difference between God and doctors?

At least God doesn't think he's a doctor!

[Pari]

Dear Zoggite
In the holey Koran there is a verse which means that the heal is in the God's hans (he is the Healer), so I think according to some religions the God himself is the Doctor!

[admin]

Our Lovely Guest

Dear All

Ignore the comments made by the guest. I know who the guy is and he's a nasty piece of work. He's a pharmacist not a doctor.

He's determined to see this forum flop, so we'll just ignore him ok?

I tnink it's just jealously because he hasn't got the brains to start a forum!

:shock:

[Jeff]

Getting back on topic,
Error, near miss and intervention reporting is important.
We can and do learn from our own mistakes - but reporting gives us the ability to learn from each others.
Most employee pharmacists have little control over which generic we get yet we must have all had near misses with he old APS packs.
Errors are multifactorial - we canot address all the factors unless we record them.

Jeff

[Linnear]

Getting back on topic,
Error, near miss and intervention reporting is important.
We can and do learn from our own mistakes - but reporting gives us the ability to learn from each others.
Most employee pharmacists have little control over which generic we get yet we must have all had near misses with he old APS packs.
Errors are multifactorial - we canot address all the factors unless we record them.

Jeff

Hi Jeff I agree with what you say but why do all the forms I've seen have spaces for names. Surely it doesn't matter who made the mistake and surely if you fill out your own name you are admitting a criminal offence.