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A pharmacist must dispense medications at a fast rate. Generally, mistakes are more likely when one has to work at a fast-pace than a slow-pace. These medications can be harmful or even fatal if any mistakes are made such as dispensing the wrong medication (since many of them have similar-sounding names) or making the wrong dilution. I am trying to look at the pros and cons of whether or not to pursue pharmacy, dentistry, or optometry. Dentistry and optometry are not as fast-paced as pharmacy. I have found the following 3 articles about pharmacy on the internet.
( 1 ) >>>> Massachusetts Family Wins $7.1 Million in Pharmacy Malpractice Case <<<<
March 28, 2002
A jury ordered three former pharmacists at a Massachusetts hospital to pay $7.1 million to the family of a four-year-old boy who received an improper drug dosage months after his birth. Pharmacists at Children's Hospital in Boston failed to dilute the high-blood-pressure drug Enalaprilat in March 1997, mistakenly giving three-month-old Joey Rice 100 times the proper amount.
The infant's parents, Christopher and Kathleen Rice, alleged the overdose caused Joey's severe brain damage that left him mentally ******ed. Defense attorneys argued the boy, who was born prematurely, had already suffered neurological damage before the medication was given.
( 2 ) >>> Pharmacists And Pharmacies Make Prescription Errors That Kill Or Injure <<<
Why Do These Preventable Mistakes Occur?
One potential cause is the similarity between some drug names. For example: Levoxine vs. Lanoxin, Eldepryl vs. enalapril, quinine vs. quinidine. Picture a poorly written prescription for Norvasc (or is that Navane?), or Procanbid vs. probenecid. Another frequent source of confusion is the use of drug suffixes, like SR or XL. In one instance, a prescription for Procardia XL, 30 mg once per day, was filled as Procardia 10 mg, dispense 40 tablets.
In a study of 500 pharmacist malpractice claims conducted by Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company, the following types of errors were identified: Wrong Drug Dispensed -- 52%, Wrong Strength Dispensed -- 27%, Wrong Directions Given -- 7.4%, for a total of 86.4% of errors that could have been prevented.
What are some of the factors that contribute to these mental lapses?
A Pharmacy Today survey (published December 15, 1996) asked, "What could cause dispensing errors?" Of 187 responses from 171 pharmacists and 16 pharmacy paraprofessionals, insufficient filling time and too many distractions were identified as two of the major areas of concern. Ringing telephones and customer questions unrelated to medication were frequent sources of interruption. Unrealistic workload requirements, inadequate technician assistance, and a nonsupportive system (with no provision for one person to check the work of another) were also identified as factors that can increase the rate of error. In short, many dispensing errors are caused by stress, distraction, or lack of backup.
None of these causes justify the harm that can be caused by a misfilled prescription.
According to the law, pharmacists have a responsibility to the patients who depend on them to practice according to acceptable standards of care for the profession.
When something goes wrong and there is a deviation from the standard of care, an error occurs. Any action or conduct that deviates from the standard of care is negligent, and the pharmacist/pharmacy may be considered liable for the act.
Whether a patient would have a reason to pursue a claim against a pharmacist or pharmacy depends often upon the answer to this question: "What injuries or damages did the patient suffer?" A major injury like a heart attack or stroke, or a patient who is left permanently disabled as a result of the injury is more likely to bring a lawsuit than an individual with minor injuries.
Breach of expressed warranty occurs when a pharmacist makes any expressed claim about a product that the product fails to meet. For example, the pharmacist might dispense a generic form of a drug to a patient and tell that patient, "This is the same thing as the other drug and will work just as well."
( 3 ) >>> Pharmacists sue Wal-Mart over pay
Employees say discounter owes them $200 million <<<<<<<<<
By Louis Aguilar
Denver Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 12, 2002
Trinidad pharmacist Michael Fiorenzi says he had little choice but to work for Wal-Mart when a superstore opened in his tiny southern Colorado town in 1988.
As an independent pharmacist, he could not compete with a retail operation the size of three football fields.
He said he found his Wal-Mart experience enjoyable for several years. But as the store gained in popularity, Fiorenzi contends - as do thousands of other former and current Wal-Mart pharmacists - he could not keep pace with the growing workload.
Fiorenzi said he often filled 200 prescriptions daily, working 10-hour shifts. Then, he had to go home and fill out paperwork for up to three hours a night, he said.
Wal-Mart continued to pay him for 45 hours of work. When he began to complain to management that he was working more than 45 hours, he was fired on the charge of misfilling a prescription. Fiorenzi disputes that charge. He now drives 85 miles one way to work at a hospital pharmacy.
( 1 ) >>>> Massachusetts Family Wins $7.1 Million in Pharmacy Malpractice Case <<<<
March 28, 2002
A jury ordered three former pharmacists at a Massachusetts hospital to pay $7.1 million to the family of a four-year-old boy who received an improper drug dosage months after his birth. Pharmacists at Children's Hospital in Boston failed to dilute the high-blood-pressure drug Enalaprilat in March 1997, mistakenly giving three-month-old Joey Rice 100 times the proper amount.
The infant's parents, Christopher and Kathleen Rice, alleged the overdose caused Joey's severe brain damage that left him mentally ******ed. Defense attorneys argued the boy, who was born prematurely, had already suffered neurological damage before the medication was given.
( 2 ) >>> Pharmacists And Pharmacies Make Prescription Errors That Kill Or Injure <<<
Why Do These Preventable Mistakes Occur?
One potential cause is the similarity between some drug names. For example: Levoxine vs. Lanoxin, Eldepryl vs. enalapril, quinine vs. quinidine. Picture a poorly written prescription for Norvasc (or is that Navane?), or Procanbid vs. probenecid. Another frequent source of confusion is the use of drug suffixes, like SR or XL. In one instance, a prescription for Procardia XL, 30 mg once per day, was filled as Procardia 10 mg, dispense 40 tablets.
In a study of 500 pharmacist malpractice claims conducted by Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company, the following types of errors were identified: Wrong Drug Dispensed -- 52%, Wrong Strength Dispensed -- 27%, Wrong Directions Given -- 7.4%, for a total of 86.4% of errors that could have been prevented.
What are some of the factors that contribute to these mental lapses?
A Pharmacy Today survey (published December 15, 1996) asked, "What could cause dispensing errors?" Of 187 responses from 171 pharmacists and 16 pharmacy paraprofessionals, insufficient filling time and too many distractions were identified as two of the major areas of concern. Ringing telephones and customer questions unrelated to medication were frequent sources of interruption. Unrealistic workload requirements, inadequate technician assistance, and a nonsupportive system (with no provision for one person to check the work of another) were also identified as factors that can increase the rate of error. In short, many dispensing errors are caused by stress, distraction, or lack of backup.
None of these causes justify the harm that can be caused by a misfilled prescription.
According to the law, pharmacists have a responsibility to the patients who depend on them to practice according to acceptable standards of care for the profession.
When something goes wrong and there is a deviation from the standard of care, an error occurs. Any action or conduct that deviates from the standard of care is negligent, and the pharmacist/pharmacy may be considered liable for the act.
Whether a patient would have a reason to pursue a claim against a pharmacist or pharmacy depends often upon the answer to this question: "What injuries or damages did the patient suffer?" A major injury like a heart attack or stroke, or a patient who is left permanently disabled as a result of the injury is more likely to bring a lawsuit than an individual with minor injuries.
Breach of expressed warranty occurs when a pharmacist makes any expressed claim about a product that the product fails to meet. For example, the pharmacist might dispense a generic form of a drug to a patient and tell that patient, "This is the same thing as the other drug and will work just as well."
( 3 ) >>> Pharmacists sue Wal-Mart over pay
Employees say discounter owes them $200 million <<<<<<<<<
By Louis Aguilar
Denver Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 12, 2002
Trinidad pharmacist Michael Fiorenzi says he had little choice but to work for Wal-Mart when a superstore opened in his tiny southern Colorado town in 1988.
As an independent pharmacist, he could not compete with a retail operation the size of three football fields.
He said he found his Wal-Mart experience enjoyable for several years. But as the store gained in popularity, Fiorenzi contends - as do thousands of other former and current Wal-Mart pharmacists - he could not keep pace with the growing workload.
Fiorenzi said he often filled 200 prescriptions daily, working 10-hour shifts. Then, he had to go home and fill out paperwork for up to three hours a night, he said.
Wal-Mart continued to pay him for 45 hours of work. When he began to complain to management that he was working more than 45 hours, he was fired on the charge of misfilling a prescription. Fiorenzi disputes that charge. He now drives 85 miles one way to work at a hospital pharmacy.
