Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog

According to recent news that our Washington D.C. pharmacy error injury attorneys have been following, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has committed to reduce medication mistakes by publishing a draft guidance by the end of this fiscal year. The FDA states that one third of medication errors, including 30% of errors ending in deaths that are reported to the Institute of Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), may occur as a result of drug labeling and packaging.

The FDA reportedly claimed that medication errors often happen as a result of names that look alike or sound alike, encoded numerals, failure to recognize active ingredients, dangerous medical abbreviations, and name length.

In a FDA workshop last month, Carol Holquist, RPh and director of FDA’s Division of Medication Error Prevention and Analysis reportedly claimed that guidance on these medication mistake issues is an important first step to developing a consensus to form new FDA regulations, which can take around 10-15 years.

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)’s director of Medication Use Quality Improvement, Bona Benjamin, also reportedly told the workshop group that the ASHP’s 2007 recommendations for the FDA are still current—that human factoring should be applied scientifically to drug packaging and labeling, and barcode verification should be encouraged, as nearly 20% of hospitals are using barcode medication verification.

Continue reading " Forum Guidance Leads FDA to Help Reduce Medication Errors" »

In yesterday’s blog, our medication error attorneys discussed a recent accidental overdose of epinephrine that led to a man's death in a hospital. According to the FDA, Epinephrine is a high alert medication that could cause significant patient harm or injury when used in error. Medication error can occur when there is confusion in regard to epinephrine product ratio strengths. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices, ISMP, has received a number of fatality reports due to miscalculations of strengths of epinephrine injections.

In similar epinephrine news, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), announced a National Alert Network (NAN) message this month, to warn healthcare providers about dangerous medication mistakes that could be caused by a shortage of pre-filled epinephrine syringes.

The NAN warning states that emergency syringes of epinephrine in 1mg/10mL (0.1 mg/ml) are currently on backorder from the Hospira Inc., the only manufacturer of the product after the pharmaceutical company Amphastar stopped making its emergency syringes of the drug in 2009.

According to ASHP’s director of medication use, quality and improvement, Bona Benjamin, Epinephrine is a life saving drug used in ambulances, hospitals and any other emergency settings when a patient’s heart has stopped.

Benjamin claimed that the shortage of epinephrine does not effect quantities of the EpiPen, the epinephrine injection products that are self administered in .3 mg and .15 mg doses, to remedy severe emergency reactions to food, medication, insect bites, and other reactions of an allergic nature.

Continue reading "Drug Alert Warns Epinephrine Syringe Shortage Could Lead to Dosing Error Risks" »

Our Maryland Medication Error Attorneys have been reading about the tragic incident that happen in Maine recently, after a local man went to the emergency room with symptoms of anaphylaxis, and was given an overdose of the drug epinephrine—causing his wrongful death.

After suffering an allergic reaction from eating seafood that included facial swelling and thickening of the tongue, Timothy Harvey, 51, went to the Mayo Regional Hospital emergency room for treatment. Harvey was reportedly given 0.3 milligrams of epinephrine, and reportedly showed good signs of improvement.

While Harvey was being observed by the hospital staff, he had another allergic attack, with some of the earlier symptoms. The staff reportedly gave him another dose of epinephrine, but accidentally administered an incorrect dosage of the drug, causing a medication error that was ten times the normal dose, 3 milligrams instead of 0.3 milligrams.

According to the FDA, Epinephrine is a high alert medication that could cause significant harm or patient injury when used in error. When Harvey started to experience chest pain and shortness of breath, the medical team discovered the mistake, and immediately contacted the poison control center to attempt to reverse the effects of the drug, but with no success. The Epinephrine overdose ultimately killed Harvey, despite the hospital staff’s many attempts to save his life.

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Researchers from the University of California, San Diego recently published a study in the June issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, examining the myth of the “July Effect”—a legend that considers July a dangerous month for hospital patients to undergo treatment.

The study found that fatal medication errors in hospitals are at their highest in July, especially in teaching hospitals. July is reportedly the month when recent medical students graduates report to residencies in teaching hospitals and are given new responsibilities for patient care.

In their research, Dr. David Phillips and Gwendolyn Barker studied the relationship between medication error and inexperience in July, when thousands of medical residents begin their residencies. The research focused on the changes in the total number of medication mistakes; which includes medicine given and taken in error, accidental drug overdose, accidental medication errors in medical and surgical procedures, and drugs taken accidentally.

The study inspected 244,388 death certificates across the country, focusing on fatal medication errors that were recorded as the primary cause of death between 1979 and 2006—comparing the July death numbers with the number of events that are expected in any month in any year.

Continue reading "“July Effect” Study—Report Suggests July is the Worst Month for Fatal Medication Errors" »

In a highly publicized pharmacy error case from last year that our Washington D.C. Pharmacy Error Attorneys covered in a blog, 21 Venezuelan polo team horses tragically died after being given a drug mixed by Frank’s Pharmacy Compounding Lab, aimed to replicate Biodyl, a vitamin and mineral supplement that is often used to treat muscle fatigue in horses. The drug concoction was allegedly too strong, causing a medication error that lead to the death of the horses at the International Polo Club of Palm Beach in Florida.

This week, Franck’s Pharmacy voluntarily suspended all veterinary compounding in the lab, after reportedly being threatened with an injunction by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Last month, the FDA filed a complaint that Franck’s was going around the law by producing and selling misbranded and adulterated drugs and pharmacy compounds that were too similar to drugs that are FDA-approved.

According to the FDA, compounded drugs are not reviewed by the FDA for effectiveness and safety. Drug compounding has been criticized for lack of oversight—especially when both human and animal patients could be exposed to unapproved medication, that could result personal injury or even in this case death. In an FDA Compliance Policy Guide from 2003, the agency stated concerns about the risks posed by pharmacists and veterinarians who manufacture, distribute, and mass-markets animal drugs that are unapproved.

The FDA has reportedly had a strong interest in this case, as the deaths of these horses were caused by pharmacy error—from the same pharmacy that produces drugs for humans.

Continue reading "FDA Accuses Franck’s Pharmacy of Illegal Compounding" »

Our Pharmacy Misfill Attorneys in Baltimore, Maryland recently posted a blog that discussed the epidemic of prescription error stemming from poor language translations in pharmacies across the country—causing pharmacy misfill and medication errors that could lead to patient injury.

In a study that our attorneys discussed, published in the May issue of Pediatrics, researchers found that pharmacies using labels that have been translated into Spanish with a computer program often provide inaccurate or confusing drug instructions filled with medication errors—often delivered in a mix of English and Spanish or “Spanglish.” The study looked at 76 labels for prescriptions generated by 13 different pharmacy translation computer programs, and there was a reported error rate of 50 percent.

Dr. Alejandro Clavier, a doctor in Chicago told the Chicago Tribune that he experiences translation issues with his patients in his practice every day. In one example, a patient who suffers from anemia was not improving after taking the iron supplements that Clavier prescribed. Clavier found that the patient had only been taking one drop of the iron supplement—not the stronger dosage Clavier prescribed. The patient had reportedly received instructions from the pharmacy that were confusing and hard to understand.

According to a study performed by Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, many pharmacies in four states with a large and growing Latino population are unable to even provide translations for prescriptions. The 2009 study found that nearly 35 percent of the pharmacies surveyed did not even offer translations services, and 22 percent offered pharmacy translations that were limited.

Continue reading "The Problem of Prescription Language Translations in Pharmacies" »

In yesterday's blog, our pharmacy error attorneys in Baltimore, Maryland, discussed the rapidly growing numbers of doctors switching from hand-written prescriptions to electronic prescriptions—to create a more efficient system that helps to prevent medication errors in every step of the prescribing and pharmacy process.

The Wall Street Journal documented an example of possible prescription error with 59-year old Debbie Kenny, who was prescribed a new hypertension medication by her doctor that had just become available at the end of last year. Unknown to both Kenny and her doctor, the medication had the potential to interfere with her asthma—a dangerous side effect. Kenny consequently had trouble breathing after coming down with a cold, still not understanding the side effects of the medication.

After Kinney’s doctor started to e-prescribe the following month, the new electronic system indicated very clearly that Kinney should not be taking that particular hypertension drug, because of her asthma, and the drug’s side effects. She was promptly switched to another medication for hypertension that was compatible with her asthma. Kinney said that she feels more comfortable now with the new electronic system. If her doctor prescribes a new drug, she can ask for a clear computerized diagram of the side effects or the drug interactions before taking the medication—to avoid any personal injury.

As of last year, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) was helping to promote the switch to electronic prescribing by enticing doctors and paying them a bonus for e-prescribing. As of the beginning of 2012, a stronger encouragement will appear, as CMS will begin penalizing doctors who haven’t embraced the electronic system to issue patient’s prescriptions.

Continue reading "Electronic Prescriptions and the Path to Preventing Medication Errors" »

In a recent news that our Baltimore, Maryland Attorneys have been following, doctors are reportedly increasingly leaving behind paper when prescribing medications, and depending more and more on electronic prescriptions, or “e-prescriptions”—in an effort to avoid pharmacy misfills and medication errors, along with hard-to-read doctor handwriting, or even prescription fraud, as our attorneys reported on in our last blog.

E-prescribing immediately sends the prescriptions to the pharmacy in a digital format through a secured Internet network, from a handheld device or from their computers. The doctor simply selects the drug from a computerized list, with other symbols indicating the best drug option, different dosages, and either generic or name-brand medicine, instead of hand-writing the prescription, which can lead to medication error. Some e-prescribing programs give symbols in the form of colored or smiling faces, delineating between cheapest, preferred, or less desirable drug options.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the number of e-prescriptions almost tripled last year, from 68 million in the previous year, to 191 million in 2009. Surescripts, LLC, the company that handles the majority of the electronic communications in e-prescribing, reports that this represents 12% of the 1.63 billion original prescriptions, which excludes refills. The first three months of this year showed that one out of every five prescriptions is being filed electronically—a number that is rapidly growing, as nearly 25% of doctors based in offices already have the technology to e-prescribe.

In a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine in February of this year, e-prescribing was found to reduce common hand-written prescriptions errors significantly, including pharmacy misfills containing the wrong dosage, or incorrect usage instructions that could lead to patient injury or even wrongful death.

Continue reading "Study Shows E-Prescribing Significantly Reduces Prescription Errors" »

In a recent study that our Maryland Pharmacy Misfill Attorneys have been following, the problem of prescription translations from English to Spanish in pharmacies nationwide is being exposed, as well as the potential for medication error with customers.

The study, published in the May issue of Pediatrics, shows that many Spanish speaking people living in the United States are receiving prescription drugs from pharmacies with labels and instructions that have been translated so poorly from English to Spanish, that they are riddled with errors, misspellings, and incorrect phrasing. The prescription medications in these cases proved to have the potential of being more of a health hazard than a health benefit to patients if incorrectly administered—which could lead to personal injury or wrongful death.

According to the study results, the prescription translation errors are occurring because of poor translation systems in the computer programs that most pharmacies depend on for Spanish to English medication translations.

The study focused on 286 pharmacies in the Bronx, New York, where a reported 44 percent of the city’s population speak Spanish. The results found that 86 percent of pharmacies provided Spanish labels and instructions that were translated by computer programs, 11 percent used staff members for translations, and 3 percent of pharmacies used a professional interpreter to translate the labels and instructions.

The researchers reportedly found dozens of incidents where the quality of the medication label and instruction translations were dangerouly inconsistent. A common problem was that the computer program translated the prescription information into “Spanglish”— a mix of English and Spanish that was hard to read and often confusing. One example of a medication translation mistake was the use of the word “once” in English, meaning “once a day” that also means “eleven” in Spanish, which could result in a possible overdose. Other instructions that were not properly translated included phrases like, “apply topically,” or take “with juice,” or “with food,” as well as the length of the drug course, like “for seven days.”

Continue reading "Pharmacy Error in English-Spanish translated Drug Labels and Instructions" »

As Maryland Medication Error Injury Attorneys, we have recently read data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stating that in the United States, 1.3 million people are injured by medication errors every year, with at least one death reported every day.

According to the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention, (NCCMERP), injury from medication error is an urgent, a widespread public problem, that needs to receive far more public attention. The NCCMERP estimates that 98,000 people die annually from medical errors that occur in hospitals—an amount that is greater than deaths from motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer, AIDS, even workplace injuries. Medication error can happen at any point, and result in injury—from communication, distribution, prescribing, dispensing, administering or monitoring.

A medication error is defined by the the NCCMERP as any event that is preventable, and may cause medication misusage or patient harm while the medication is being controlled by the health care professional, consumer or patient. Medication errors can happen in professional practices and during procedures, as well as in the systems of prescribing, ordering, the labeling of a product, packaging, dispensing, education, monitoring, usage, and naming conventions.

The FDA states that common causes of medication error stem from poor communication between doctor, pharmacist, and patient, with unclear product names or suffixes, medical abbreviations or handwriting, poor techniques or procedures, or a lack of understanding of directions for patient usage. Job stress or lack of training or knowledge can also lead or contribute to pharmacy error injury or misfills.

Continue reading "Death from Medication Error Leads to Prevention Awareness" »

In a post from earlier this year, our attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC discussed how computerized health records would help Maryland pharmacists and doctors to eliminate Maryland medication mistakes.

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, on how to digitize the health-care industry, Veterans hospitals have proven to have paved the way——showing doctors and pharmacists important lessons on how to effectively make the digital transformation.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs digitized their records years ago, with great results. Independent studies show that the VA outperformed the private sector and Medicare on preventative services and chronic care. VA officials have claimed that the digital technology has helped cut down on patient hospitalizations and has helped patients live longer.

The VA’s digital records system has been a blessing to patients, allowing doctors and nurses at more than 1,400 facilities to share the medical history of the patients—avoiding the unnecessary repetition of costly tests. As well as storing patient data, the system gives screening warnings and keeps an eye on patient levels, like blood pressure and weight—all safeguards for improved quality care.

In a digitized record for a 59-year old Maryland patient at the VA medical center, all of his health problems were listed, like diabetes and hypertension, as well as all of his data since he has been a patient at the center. The screen showed a list of all current medications, including insulin, the drug Furosemide for heart failure, and Oxycodone, the pain medication. The patient’s doctor can reorder a drug through the system, sent directly to the pharmacy—eliminating medication mistakes and pharmacy misfills. If the doctor orders a new prescription that conflicts with a drug the patient is already taking, there is a warning in the system.

Continue reading "Veterans Hospital Paves the Way for Computerized Records" »

A recent American Pharmacists Association (APhA) survey, that our Maryland Pharmacy Error Injury Attorneys have been following, revealed that 1.5 million people are injured by medication-related errors every year. The APhA commissioned the consumer survey, led by Harris Interactive, to investigate how consumers interact with their pharmacists, and how building relationships with pharmacists can avoid patient error and reduce medication mistakes and pharmacy misfills.

The APhA always recommends that people carry an updated list of their current prescription medications, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, herbal supplements and vitamins. The list should include the name of the medications, the dosage, as well as the conditions that the medications treat. Any patient allergies should also be included in the list.

The study reports that while a large percentage of Americans have an up-to-date list of medications, only 28% of consumers actually carry the list with them at all times—an act that could prevent personal injury and medication mistakes, by providing emergency personnel and pharmacists with lifesaving information regarding drug names, proper dosing, allergy information, and drug interactions and side effects.

According to Kristen Binaso, pharmacist and national APhA spokesperson, until electronic medical records are used as the standard in sharing patient information in the health care industry, consumers should protect themselves by keeping a current medication list with them at all times, to show the doctor and pharmacist—to avoid the risk of improper dosing, medication duplication, pharmacy misfill, and harmful drug side effects and interactions. In a recent post, our Maryland Mistake Attorneys further discussed how these electronic health records will help pharmacists and doctors to eliminate medication errors.

Next to doctors, pharmacists are the second most trusted health care providers and trained medication experts, yet the survey found that 77% of consumers do not know their pharmacists names, and only 40% of consumers have asked their pharmacists valuable questions about their medication needs.

Continue reading "Medication Error Injury Prevention—Study Recommends Knowing Your Pharmacist" »

In a prior post from this week concerning pharmacy error injury, our Maryland Medication Error Attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC discussed a recent study published by the Institute of Medication Practices (ISMP), and the ongoing problem with drug naming standards in extended release medications.

In this study, the ISMP revealed a series of cases reported to the institute, in which drug name suffix medication mistakes have frequently occurred. This study showed specific case examples in order to establish clearer naming conventions in the industry, and improve comprehensive pharmacist and patient awareness—to prevent pharmacy error injury and misfills in the future.

The ISMP study reported these specific medication mistake cases:

• Physicians often prescribe extended release products without the correct suffix, or with a suffix that does not exist for that particular product.

• In an analysis of 402 prescribing errors published by Medscape Pharmacists, the most common type of error in the study (280 cases, 69.7%) was failure to specify the controlled release formulation.

• The ISMP received reports of cases in which pharmacists dispensed Metadate ER instead of Metadate CD—two different extended release forms of methylphenidate-UCB, a stimulant medicine commonly used to treat ADHD. In one case, a prescription for Metadate CD 20 mg was misfiled at a pharmacy, where the staff dispensed Metadate ER 20 mg.

• Some products have multiple suffixes for different formulations of the same drug. Diltiazem products for example (calcium channel blockers) are used to slow the heart rate and normalize the heart rhythm in hypertension and arrhythmia. The many suffixes for Diltiazem include SR, CD, XR, XT, and LA.

• Electronic prescribing can also lead to medication errors on behalf of the prescriber. In one case, a prescriber electronically selected metroprolol tartrate instead of metoprolol succinate because of choosing incorrectly on his PDA.

According to this report, pharmacists, practitioners, and patients should take extra care when reviewing the different formulations and medication names, especially if the medication is available in more than one dosage form.

The ISMP recommends the following medication error prevention checklist:

Continue reading "ISMP Medication Error Cases and Prevention Checklist" »

In prior posts, Maryland medication mistake attorneys have asked our readers to question their doctors before taking prescription medications. Proactive patients are better able to notice potential medication mistakes before they occur and are less likely to suffer injuries.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (“AHRQ”), a part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, has noted the substantial impact medication mistakes have on patients and the country as a whole. On itswebsite, the AHRQ quotes a report from the Institute of Medicine (“IOM”) which found that medication mistakes kill from 44,000 to 98,000 people each year. The report also indicated that medical mistakes cost the country approximately $17 billion each year in increased health care costs.

In order to help reduce medication mistakes, the AHRQ has developed a national ad campaign to encourage Americans to take a more active role in their health care by asking critical questions of their doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. The program drives home the point that Americans typically ask more questions of a cellular phone salesperson than they do of their physicians. The campaign’s website provides a top ten list of critical questions patients should ask their health care providers during appointments. Additionally, the website also has a “Question Builder” that allows readers to develop their own personalized list of questions.

In a recent study, researchers found that improper dosages account for nearly 40% of medication errors. Additionally, researchers found that poor communication between health care professionals was the underlying cause of 15.8% of prescription errors. I read an article about an interesting piece of new technology that helps improve dose accuracy and communication between care providers.

The Intellidot Corporation has released the wireless IntelliDot Bedside Medication Administration (“IntelliDot BMA”) which will help eliminate hospital medication errors. The handheld device reads a barcode attached a patient’s wrist and provides the health care professional with all of the patient’s relevant health information. At an instant, a nurse or doctor will know all of the patient’s prescriptions, their required dosages, and the proper way to administer the medication. Additionally, in a hospital equipped with a computerized pharmacy, a doctor can electronically submit a prescription to the hospital’s pharmacy, and the pharmacy can transmit the prescription along with administration instructions to the IntelliDot BMA. Under this system, a hospital can eliminate the need for handwritten prescriptions and therefore greatly reduce the risk of errors caused by a physician’s poor handwriting or the use of improper medication abbreviations.

Continue reading "New Technology: Handheld Device May Help Reduce Hospital Medication Errors" »

In earlier posts, Maryland medication error attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC have suggested that our readers always provide their health care providers with a full list of the prescription and over the counter medications they are currently taking.

The Institute of Safe Medication Practices (“ISMP”) has published a Universal Medication Form for patients to give to their doctors and pharmacists at each visit. On the form, a person can list their medication allergies, their immunizations, their current medications, the strength of their medications, and the frequency with which they take each prescription.

In order to avoid harmful drug interactions that can cause serious injuries or death, please take the time to accurately fill out this form or a similar one and bring it with them to all pharmacy, doctor, or hospital visits.

Continue reading "Universal Medication Form May Help Reduce the Risk of Injuries From Dangerous Prescription Interactions" »

The medication error attorneys at Lebowitz and Mzhen, LLC are proud to have represented members of this country’s armed forces and their families in a variety of legal matters. In addition to the stresses that come with being a member of the military, soldiers and their families also have to be concerned about the risk of injury from medication errors.

The United States Army is comprised of 675,000 active duty soldiers. Army health centers are responsible for providing medical care to active duty personnel, their dependants, and a substantial population of veterans and their families. As a result, busy Army health facilities, including pharmacies, face the same risk of committing medication errors as their civilian counterparts.

The DeWitt Health Care Network serves 150,000 people in the Fort Belvoir Army community and is taking steps to reduce the risk of injuries from medication errors. Major Lela C. King, Chief of Pharmacy, reported that the network has given its patients pocket-sized medication cards that contain patient allergies, prescriptions, and other vital health information. These cards will reduce the risk of dangerous a physician prescribing a medication that interacts with one the patient is already taking.

Additionally, Major King has overseen the installation of digital patient records software and hardware in Dewitt facilities. According to Major King, the Army has recognized that such electronic health information can “decrease the number of medication errors made at the pharmacy by 70 percent.”

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The Food and Drug Administration is taking steps to warn consumers about potential drug side effects. The Maryland Pharmacists Association reports that sometime this year, the FDA will require all prescriptions to include a “side effects statement” that lists all of a drug’s potential side effects. The proposed labeling could appear on prescription containers and will advise patients to contact their health care provider and the FDA if they experience drug side effects.

Many of these side effects initially may be as minor as a runny nose or muscle stiffness. However, many of these insignificant annoyances can develop into more serious health concerns if a patient continues taking the prescription. To prevent more serious side effects, a patient should recognize any less serious side effects that might occur first and immediately contact their doctors. However, in order to take action, a patient has to know all of a drug’s potential side effects.

Listen to any radio or television commercial for the newest “wonder drug” and you’ll be shocked by the long list of potential side effects that the announcer speed reads before the commercial ends. Maryland medication error attorneys urge our readers to consult their physicians before taking medications so that they know a drug’s potential side effects.

Continue reading "Side Effect Labels on Prescription Bottles May Help Reduce Injuries " »

The medication error attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC recently learned that the Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers who use medicated skin patches to remove those patches before going through a MRI scan. According to the FDA, some patches contain metal which may heat up during an MRI and burn the patient’s skin. The FDA warns that the metal in many of these patches may not be visible to the patient and not all transdermal patches that contain metal have patient warnings printed on the box. The FDA is currently reviewing the labeling requirements to ensure that patients are adequately warned of this new danger.

Until this review is complete, the FDA suggests that patients who use medicated patches do the following:
• Before undergoing an MRI scan, tell your doctor that you are using a patch and why you are using it;
• Ask your doctor for counsel regarding whether to remove the patch before the scan, and whether to replace it after the procedure;
• Tell the MRI technician that you are using a patch. The FDA suggests that you do this when making the appointment and again when you arrive at the MRI facility.

Transdermal patches deliver medication slowly through a patient’s skin. When most people think of patches that deliver medication through the skin, they immediately think of the nicotine patch. However, in the years since the development of the nicotine patch, the drug industry has developed a number of other medications that are effectively administered through the skin. For example, to treat angina many doctors direct their patients to wear nitroglycerin patches. Some women going through menopause also use patches that deliver hormones into their system, and doctors can prescribe Clonidine patches to patients with high blood pressure.

In earlier posts, the Maryland pharmacy error attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC have discussed how computerized prescription entry programs decrease the risk of patient injury due to pharmacy errors. A study at the Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut is another example of how these systems work.

Recently, I spoke on the phone with a friend who lives in Norwalk and who is currently expecting her first child. As we talked about her child’s upcoming birth and the plans of her and her husband, she mentioned that the hospital where she is likely going to deliver her baby was in a local paper for being one of the safest in the nation. A recent newspaper article highlights how Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut employs a computerized prescription program that has, in part, helped earn nationwide recognition for patient safety. The computer system allows physicians at the hospital to electronically submit prescriptions with dosage instructions to the pharmacy, bypassing the necessity for doctors to write a hardcopy of the prescription. This procedures largely eliminates the possibility that the doctors’ handwriting will be misread.

Dr. Stephen O’Mahony, the associate chairman of medicine and a medical quality officer at Norwalk Hospital commented that, “With the old way we were doing things there was the chance of there being transcription errors, meaning a patient could get the wrong medication, but now there is no chance of [hospital pharmacists] reading it wrong.”

During the three years since the hospital introduced the computerized system, medication errors have decreased from an average of 13 errors per 1,000 patients to 2 errors per 1,000 patients. Additionally, the hospital has noticed a decrease in the length of hospital stays for Medicare recipients from an average of 7 days down to 5.7 days.

The electronic system not only prevents medication errors, it also uses a “best practices” approach to suggest the appropriate drug therapy for particular patients. For example, if a patient comes to the hospital suffering from a heart attack, the computer system will remind the doctor to prescribe aspirin. Also, when a doctor treats a person suffering from pneumonia, the system will prevent the doctor from discharging the patient until the patient has received a flu shot. With features such as these, the hospital’s computerized prescription program helps reduce the time patients suffer from their current aliments, and it also helps reduce the risk of further health problems.

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