If you operate a pharmacy, you want to do a great job of getting patients the medications they need. However, sometimes mistakes happen. When your staff gets busy or distracted, they may make errors. What may seem like a small mistake can have severe consequences. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, preventable dispensing errors can be deadly.
You should make sure your dispensing processes are as accurate as possible. Following best practices can prevent your pharmacy from filling prescriptions with incorrect dosages or medications. Here is how you can improve the dispensing accuracy of your pharmacy:
1. Reduce stress and distractions
If your pharmacy workers experience fatigue and stress, they may be more likely to make oversights and errors. You can decrease employee stress by:
- Hiring enough people to handle increasing demand
- Reducing the duration of shifts
- Letting workers take frequent breaks
When you have employees who are more alert and relaxed, they are sure to perform more consistently and accurately.
2. Maintain an orderly environment
A cluttered or poorly-designed working environment can cause various complications and problems. Potential issues include insufficient counter space, poor lighting and uncomfortable indoor temperature. If your employees are uncomfortable or disorganized, they will be less focused and more prone to mistakes. Keeping the working area organized and clean is a good way to improve dispensing accuracy.
3. Implement multiple confirmation processes
You and your employees should get in the habit of confirming prescriptions multiple times throughout dispensing. Make sure all prescriptions are checked and confirmed at order entry, label printing and filling. It is also a good idea for other people to verify prescriptions to reduce inaccuracies.
Running a pharmacy can be difficult yet rewarding work. Most of the time, things probably run smoothly. But if you want to avoid patient complaints and legal problems, you should be vigilant in reducing dispensing errors. Follow these three tips to make your pharmacy operate more accurately.