SmartMed | Pharmacy (2024)

FAQs

Do pharmacies make counting mistakes? ›

Whether it's from distractions and having to start over again, drug retrieval mistakes or simple counting errors, hand-counting mistakes happen all too often in the pharmacy. The pharmacy is a busy place and using pill dispensing automation can help pharmacies strike the perfect balance of safety and efficiency.

When patients who don't experience adverse health effects are included, recent studies estimate that more than 2.3 million prescription medication dispensing errors are made every year in pharmacies across the country. Almost all of these medication mistakes are preventable and the result of human error.

The pharmacist must not fill the prescription when the results of a reasonable inquiry do not overcome concern about a prescription being written for a legitimate medical purpose. Just say “No.” A pharmacist has a right and responsibility to deny a prescription if it does not seem legitimate.

Official answer. In general, schedule II controlled substance prescriptions cannot be refilled and expire after 6 months. Schedule III or IV prescriptions may not be filled or refilled more than 6 months after the written date OR refilled more than 5 times, whichever comes first.

The three most common dispensing errors are: dispensing an incorrect medication, dosage strength or dosage form; miscalculating a dose; and failing to identify drug interactions or contraindications.

When pharmacy errors lead to harm, the patient may have the right to bring a pharmacy error lawsuit seeking compensation. Pharmacists may liable for malpractice if they dispense the wrong drug, the incorrect dosage or fail to recognize a contraindication with other medicines the patient is taking.

This marks the halfway point through pharmacy school - we're almost there! The third year of pharmacy school has the most difficult classes by far.

(c) Any dishonest or unprofessional conduct, or gross or repeated negligent conduct in the practice of pharmacy or in performing activities ancillary to the practice of pharmacy or any particular aspect or specialty thereof; (d) Behavior which demonstrates a clear conflict with the basic knowledge and competence ...

Dispensing error rates ranged from 0.00003% (43/1 420 091) to 55% (55/100). The meta-analysis included 1 461 128 prescriptions. The overall community pharmacy dispensing error rate was estimated to be 0.015 (95% CI 0.014 to 0.018); however, significant heterogeneity was observed across studies (I²=99.6).

Some red flags according to the NOS include a class II controlled substance that is filled too soon by >3 days, a controlled substance that has been written by >4 previous prescribers of separate practices over 6 months, distance between the patient's residence and pharmacy is >50 miles, distance between the patient's ...

What is the downside of using GoodRx? ›

Predictability. GoodRx's prices “fluctuate frequently — daily, weekly or monthly” the company's website says. So it might be hard to predict what you'll pay and where you'll have to go for your medications from month to month.

Can a pharmacist change prescriptions? In most cases, a pharmacist must follow the doctor's exact prescription, but there are a few exceptions. If the pharmacist finds interactions, dosing instructions, or other factors preventing the medication from working, a change may be necessary.

Medicines that are taken “as needed” are known as “PRN” medicines. “PRN” is a Latin term that stands for “pro re nata,” which means “as the thing is needed.”

Section 4064.5 - 90-day supply of dangerous drug other than controlled substance (a) A pharmacist may dispense not more than a 90-day supply of a dangerous drug other than a controlled substance pursuant to a valid prescription that specifies an initial quantity of less than a 90-day supply followed by periodic refills ...

Gabapentin is not currently controlled under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. At clinically therapeutic doses (900-3600 mg/day), gabapentin does not bind to GABAA or GABAB receptors, nor does it bind to benzodiazepine sites.

Sometimes a pharmacist may fill the correct drug but provide the wrong dosage due to a mathematical or packaging error. Giving a patient the incorrect dosage can cause them to suffer from extreme side effects or even death.

While there are rules and regulations in place to monitor the safety and quality of a compounding service, errors still continue to occur.

As a pharmacy technician, it is easy to make mistakes. However, mistakes are not always caught. In fact, research shows that only 85 percent of mistakes are caught by pharmacy technicians before the medication gets to the patient. Dispensing medication is inherently risky and a cause for concern.

Inform your doctor about what happened (if you have taken any doses of the wrong medicine). Advise you to see your doctor or go to the hospital (if you may have been harmed or put at risk by taking the wrong medicine). Investigate the cause of the mistake with your medicine.