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Do you know how many pharmacy mistakes take place in Texas every year? According to Professor Marc Fleming at the University of Houston Pharmacy, “There’s really no source of data on prescription errors.” He told Local 2 that some studies indicate there are three to five prescription mistakes out of 100 prescriptions; however, no one can know for sure.
Because there isn’t a law in Texas that makes pharmacies report their errors and how frequently medication mistakes are happening, there is really no way of knowing just how many pharmacy errors are occurring. Because pharmacists at CVS in Houston, and other pharmacies throughout the state, are busy and fill hundreds of prescriptions a day—mistakes are bound to be made.
By knowing this information, don’t you want to know how you can prevent being a victim of a pharmacy mistake?
While pharmacists should double check every prescription for accuracy, sometimes mistakes are overlooked and customers receive the wrong dosage or wrong medication. For this reason, you should look at your pills before leaving the pharmacy. Sounds simple, right? But how many of us actually look at our medication, check the color, read the label, and confirm the pills in the bottle match the description in the paperwork? Unfortunately, when we don’t take this small step, there could be large consequences.
Although it might sound obvious to check your pills before you take them, many people trust pharmacists to give them the correct medication. In order to minimize your risks of being a victim of a pharmacy error, check your pills before swallowing and share this information with others on Facebook to help prevent someone you know from getting the wrong pills.