Picking Up the Right Patient's Prescriptions
A pharmacy technician in a chain retail pharmacy issued the wrong medicines to a patient. The pharmacy uses a bin system for prescriptions awaiting pick-up and the technician accidentally selected the prescription in the bin next to the correct one. The first name of the two patients was exactly the same.
Learn MoreHot Flashes from a Heated Patch
An estrogen patch automatically releases the proper dose of medicine over a defined period of time, usually several days. However, women should know that sunbathing with a patch on may speed up how much medicine enters the body. For example, one woman experienced hot flashes after several days of sunbathing while wearing Climara, a once-a-week estrogen (estradiol) patch.
Learn MoreSuper Glue Your Eyes Shut? Relax, It’s Not Going to Be Permanent
A news report about a woman who accidentally glued one of her eyes shut when she mistook Super Glue (cyanoacrylate adhesive) for her eye drops is a reminder that the potential for this mix-up is real. In 2010, The Associated Press reported that a woman who had cataract surgery a year ago was reaching for what she thought was one of her half-dozen eye medications but picked up a nearby super glue container in error. A burning sensation immediately indicated that something was seriously wrong, so she went to the hospital where doctors worked on getting her eye open.
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Good catch! A mother picking up a prescription for her son was supposed to receive methylphenidate for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Instead she was given a cardiac drug intended for another patient. The mother noticed the error because the pharmacist mentioned the medicine was for “chest pains.” It turned out that the two patients had the same name. Before leaving the pharmacy with your prescription, always make sure to verify your name and another identifier, such as your date of birth or address. It’s also important for pharmacists to provide drug information when you pick up your prescriptions. After all, that’s how this error was prevented.
