Medication Mix-up
Happy Monday!
So, if you've ever gotten an incorrect prescription from the pharmacy, obviously first you want to make the pharmacy aware.
You can also contact the Oregon Board of Pharmacy to file a formal complaint: http://www.oregon.gov/Pharmacy/Complaint.shtml. I talked to a gentleman in the Compliance department with the Board and he says it's his agencies job to look into stuff like that. He also mentioned that is a very good idea for people to look at both the bottle and the pills inside before they leave the pharmacy in the first place. Oregon law says the label should have writing on it that describes the pills inside as well as any markings the pills may have. It's a great way to make sure you've got the right stuff.
As for the frequency at which this happens.. it's hard to know and hard to track. You heard about the study from 2000-2001 I dug up, but overall I really struggled to find good numbers.
This group is in the process of tracking patient safety issues which currently includes hospitals and will soon extend to the retail pharmacy level.
http://www.oregonpatientsafety.org
But again, hard to track overall makes it hard to report in terms of overall numbers....
Email me! sstricklen@kgw.com
