dispensing errors
Checks miss drug with almost-identical name
A single letter made all the difference when a pharmacist dispensed the same medication twice in error New Zealand’s Health and Disability Commissioner has issued a report about a case …
Warning after dispensing error
An Irish pharmacist incorrectly dispensed medication used in the termination of a pregnancy to a pregnant woman The patient, 34, attended the pharmacy in Dublin to have a prescription for …
Many methadone mistakes
A pharmacist has been told to pay over $40,000 after his dispensing of methadone led to several “near-misses” An Auckland pharmacist has been censured and found guilty of professional misconduct …
1000x dose error happened on ‘particularly busy’ day
A “tired and hungry” pharmacist dispensed clonidine to a three-year-old at 1000 times the prescribed dose The New Brunswick College of Pharmacists in Canada has released a decision of its …
Dispensing error on pharmacist’s first day
A pharmacist accidentally dispensed sertraline instead of sumatriptan to a teenager… a mistake discovered over six months later A New Zealand pharmacist failed to adhere to professional standards by mistakenly …
Methotrexate error outcomes ‘frequently catastrophic’
Pharmacists need to ensure their own practices are as safe as possible, finds a new report into methotrexate which noted seven deaths and 28 notifications The Pharmacy Board of Australia …
Look before you leap!
A lack of thought process and risk assessment appear to be behind several of these errors, reports PDL “Look before you leap’ is an old saying to remind someone to …
Be alert but not alarmed
What are the most frequent error types reported to PDL… and what are the causes of these errors? PDL has issued advice to its members about dispensing errors, including tips …
World news wrapup: 8 October 2020
“Brutal cold bullying behaviours” of chain employers highlighted; APhA hopes to break Pharmacy Benefit Managers power; scope widens for some in NZ UK: Large pharmacy chains are exhibiting “brutal cold …
Regulators expect pharmacists to be ‘gate keepers’
PDL has issued a practice alert discussing incidents involving drugs of dependence The PDL Professional Officers often see incident reports or regulatory notifications involving high risk medications such as S8 items and …
Top five tips for avoiding errors
PDL has issued advice to members about five key ways to avoid making dispensing errors Compare the millilitres vs milligrams dose Mixtures expressed in mg/ml are frequently implicated in dispensing …
Pharmacist exploited colleague’s vulnerability, says report
A woman was hospitalised with internal bleeding after a dispensing error, for which a pharmacist tried to blame a colleague by forging her initials New Zealand’s Deputy Health and Disability …