Assistance should include methods used to increase patient safety by decreasing medication errors through detecting, reporting, analyzing, and correcting errors. Methods should include
- double-checking one's own work
- having another pharmacy technician double-check work
- having a pharmacist double-check work
- investigating situations where a medication error is common, such as missing doses; extra doses; look-alike, sound-alike drugs (LASA)
- reporting and correcting errors, as needed
- analyzing the role of safety organizations in the prevention of errors
- defining
See ASHP 3.13.
Process/Skill Questions:
- What are the characteristics of an effective pharmacy department's approach to preventing medication errors?
- What roles do automation and information technology play in preventing drug misadventures?
- What are the basic features of some common programs for reporting medication misadventures?
- What is SALAD or LASA?
- What systems can be implemented to avoid misadventures due to SALAD or LASA?