Assistance should include methods used to increase patient safety by decreasing drug misadventures 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 drug misadventure 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 PTCB 4.1, 4.3, 4.6, 5.1, 5.3, 5.4 (https://www.ptcb.org/lib24watch/files/pdf/169).
See ASHP 3.13 (https://www.ashp.org/-/media/assets/professional-development/technician-program-accreditation/docs/ashp-acpe-pharmacy-technician-accreditation-standard-2018.ashx?la=en&hash=36EAA6511105A6C6BFEA4F30E193892F19E2C385).
Process/Skill Questions:
- What are the characteristics of an effective pharmacy department's approach to preventing medication misadventures?
- 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 are LASA drugs?
- What systems can be implemented to avoid misadventures due to LASA?