Volume 1, Issue 6                    The Traut Firm eNewsletter               May, 2005            www.trautfirm.com

Prescription for Error

Busy pharmacies fill 300 to 500 prescriptions daily, with pharmacists spending a minute or two per prescription. Each one filled has three parts: a Drug Utilization Review (DUR), pill counting, and patient counseling.

Governmental Regulations

A DUR, which is mandated by many states and the federal government, states that for each new prescription the pharmacist must obtain, record and update a "patient profile." This profile considers drug duplication, overuse, underuse, medication/disease contra-indications, allergies of patient, incorrect dosages and durations of medications, and much more. Pharmacies use computer programs to compare new medications with patient profiles to identify potential problems.

The Reality of the Situation

Many pharmacies hire technicians. Pharmacists complete five-year degree programs, but technicians only need high school diplomas. Although many states have eased regulations to permit technicians to count and pour medications and apply labels "under a pharmacist’s supervision," they may not perform DURs.

Litigation reveals that problems arise when pharmacies take shortcuts to maintain sales volume. Some corporate pharmacies train technicians to generate labels and fill prescriptions by bypassing computer DUR alerts with override codes. Other companies let technicians phone doctors’ offices. They usually speak with clerks or nurses, and neither pharmacist nor prescribing physician is involved in a DUR.

Mistakes are becoming common. Most simply result in inconvenience to the customer. However, some mistakes can be life-threatening. We recently settled a case for a patient with a pacemaker who suffered a stroke because he was provided the wrong dosage of a blood-thinning drug.

To protect your family
  1. If you cannot read your doctor’s handwriting, it is possible that your pharmacist cannot read it either. Ask your doctor to rewrite it legibly.
  2. Ask the pharmacist to perform a DUR.
  3. Inspect the medication. If the pill looks different from what you expect, don’t take any.
  4. Read the label carefully. Ensure the prescription is yours and that the medication and dosage is correct.

If anything seems wrong, talk to your pharmacist or contact your doctor immediately. If you think you’re a victim of wrongdoing, contact us by completing our Case Evaluation form.  Or simply call toll free 1-877-Traut-Firm.

The Traut Firm
"When You Mean Business"

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