The Rx Consultant 

Medication Errors for Pharmacy Technicians


This CE activity was originally published in The Rx Consultant.  If you received credit for it previously, you cannot receive credit for it again.
 
A pharmacist or pharmacy technician would be hard pressed to imagine anything worse than being responsible for an error that resulted in the death or serious injury of a patient. The psychological effect alone of seriously harming a patient would be difficult for most pharmacists and technicians to live with. Couple this with the stress and anxiety of a negligence lawsuit and a regulatory investigation and action by the state board of pharmacy, and the psychological effects can be devastating and career terminating.

Part 1 of this article focuses on errors that occur in the pharmacy, and steps pharmacies, pharmacists, and technicians can take to prevent errors and improve patient safety. Pharmacy errors include errors of commission, such as dispensing the wrong drug, the wrong dose of the drug, or entering the label information into the computer incorrectly. They also include errors of omission, such as failure to appropriately counsel patients and screen for risks such as drug-drug interactions, excessive dosages, and prescribing errors. The importance of root cause analysis in preventing future errors is highlighted.

Part 2 of this issue focuses on common errors patients or caregivers make when administering medications, and the role of the community healthcare provider in preventing them to safeguard patient safety. In addition, the prevention of medication errors that occur during transitions in care (in particular, from hospital to home) is discussed.

The steps in the medication use process where errors may occur are identified in Table 1.
Format
This CE activity is a monograph (PDF file).

Fee

$10.00

CE Hours

2.00

CE Units

0.200

Activity Type

Knowledge-based

Target Audience(s)

This accredited program is targeted to pharmacy technicians.

Accreditation(s)

This CE activity was developed by The Rx Consultant, a publication of Continuing Education Network, Inc.

CE activities for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians:
This continuing education (CE) activity meets the requirements of all state boards of pharmacy for approved continuing education hours.  CE credit is automatically reported to CPE Monitor.
 
CE activities for Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists: 
    This continuing education activity meets the requirements of:
        The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for formally approved continuing education (CE) hours, and CE hours of pharmacotherapeutics.
        The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) for acceptable, accredited CE.
 
    This is a pharmacotherapeutics/pharmacology CE activity.
  • The ANCC requires all advanced practice nursing certificants (CNSs and NPs) to complete 25 CE hours of pharmacotherapeutics as a portion of the required 75 continuing education hours.
  • Pharmacology CE is recommended by the AANPCP and will be required for Certificants renewing certification starting January 2017.  
  • Most State Boards of Nursing require a minimum number of pharmacy contact hours to renew an advanced practice license.
 
 
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
Continuing Education Network, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

Requirements for CE Credit

To receive CE credit, the participant must read the monograph in its entirety, complete the online post-test and receive a score of 70% or greater, and complete the online evaluation.
 
Pharmacy Technicians -
 
Be sure your profile has been updated with your NAPB e-profile # and birth date information BEFORE completing the online evaluation, or your credits cannot be reported to CPE Monitor.
 
Continuing pharmacy education credit is automatically reported to CPE Monitor once the post-test & evaluation are successfully completed.

 

 

Objectives

  • Discuss common contributing factors to dispensing errors.
  • Describe 6 steps that can be taken in pharmacies to reduce the incidence of dispensing errors.
  • List 2 factors that commonly contribute to self-administration errors.
  • Explain how medication errors can arise during transitions in care.

Speaker(s)/Author(s)

Kyle E. Hultgren, Pharm.D.


Brief Bio : Kyle E. Hultgren, Pharm.D.is the Managing Director of the Center for Medication Safety Advancement and Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Purdue University College of Pharmacy, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Disclosure : Dr. Hultgren reports no financial or personal relationship with any commercial interest producing, marketing, reselling, or distributing a product or service that appears in this issue.

Richard R. Abood, B.S. Pharmacy, J.D.


Brief Bio : Richard R. Abood, B.S. Pharm., J.D., Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Thomas J Long School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA
Disclosure : Mr. Abood reports no financial or personal relationship with any commercial interest producing, marketing, reselling, or distributing a product or service that appears in this issue.

Thomas J. Long
School of Pharmacy and Health


Disclosure : Dr. Long reports no financial or personal relationship with any commercial interest producing, marketing, reselling, or distributing a product or service that appears in this issue.

Activity Number

0428-0000-14-010-H05-T

Release Date: Aug 5, 2014
Credit Expiration Date: Aug 5, 2017

CE Hours

2.00

Fee

$10.00