help with checking prescription

[maria1oh]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Any advice on learning how to verify prescriptions?
We have lab where we have a medication bottle, rx, and rx label on vial for each prescription and we have to verify several prescriptions in a set amount of time. It sounds soo easy but I always miss something and missing just one thing means you fail, no partial credit. Last week I missed the mistake of not noticing different salt forms on the vial (the brand name was given on the Rx and the generic name was used on the vial but wrong salt form)..another time I missed that the manufacturer on the label was different from the manufacturer on the bottle...another time I missed the fact that the phone number for the doctor on the rx was different than the doctor's phone number on the vial...another time I missed something as simple as the patient's last name (it was sloppy handwriting off by just one letter and we don't get date of births to verify just the name but still I should have caught it)...
I do catch at least one error per prescription but since there are multiple errors per prescription it is difficult to catch all of them. Also when I do make a mistake(salt form, wrong manufacturer), I learn from it and never make it again...but I just wish I knew everything that could go possibly wrong so I could set up a more systematic approach to checking them.
We are not allowed to write on the prescriptions, which is what the pharmacists I know do in order to verify their prescriptions.

 

[Sparda29]

I've never heard of the phone number thing. I know the pharmacy's phone number gets put on the label, but not the physicians phone number.

 

[spacecowgirl]

that's stupid that you can't write on them. I always do everything in the same order and check off all the info top to bottom.

Develop a system based on how the labels print to check against the hard copy. Do it the same way every single time.

 

[Sparda29]

that's stupid that you can't write on them. I always do everything in the same order and check off all the info top to bottom.

Develop a system based on how the labels print to check against the hard copy. Do it the same way every single time.

I agree. Are they a bunch of ****ing tree huggers who can't print out mass copies of the prescriptions or something?

 

[All4MyDaughter]

We weren't allowed to write on the sample prescriptions at school either. To the OP... there is no way we can tell you everything that might go wrong. You need to come up with a system and stick to it. Practicing will help you more than anything.

 

[charfdorn]

Any advice on learning how to verify prescriptions?
We have lab where we have a medication bottle, rx, and rx label on vial for each prescription and we have to verify several prescriptions in a set amount of time. It sounds soo easy but I always miss something and missing just one thing means you fail, no partial credit. Last week I missed the mistake of not noticing different salt forms on the vial (the brand name was given on the Rx and the generic name was used on the vial but wrong salt form)..another time I missed that the manufacturer on the label was different from the manufacturer on the bottle...another time I missed the fact that the phone number for the doctor on the rx was different than the doctor's phone number on the vial...another time I missed something as simple as the patient's last name (it was sloppy handwriting off by just one letter and we don't get date of births to verify just the name but still I should have caught it)...
I do catch at least one error per prescription but since there are multiple errors per prescription it is difficult to catch all of them. Also when I do make a mistake(salt form, wrong manufacturer), I learn from it and never make it again...but I just wish I knew everything that could go possibly wrong so I could set up a more systematic approach to checking them.
We are not allowed to write on the prescriptions, which is what the pharmacists I know do in order to verify their prescriptions.

If it's on the label it had better be the same on the prescription and on the bottle, right? I mean, do you really need to develop a system to learn how to do this? Check everything on the label against the things you have to check it with. Work left to right, top to bottom on the label. What am I missing? This sounds like the easiest thing to learn.

 

[Ackj]

when I do make a mistake(salt form, wrong manufacturer), I learn from it and never make it again...

In 1-2 more tests, you'll be perfect then, there's really not much more you could miss.

Not all labels will have all of these things, but it's a decent list from the top of my head:
patient name, pt address, pt phone, dob, drug, strength, frequency/directions, quantity, auxiliary labels, refills, doctor, doc address, doc phone