Blog Posts in 2012
Posted on May 15, 2012 By Scott Distasio
In 2007, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report indicating at least 1.5 million people each year are the victims of some kind of medication error . According to CNN , a separate study from ...
Continue reading "Unchanging High Rate of Medication Errors Demands New Solutions" »
Posted on May 10, 2012 By Scott Distasio
Every day, patients around the developed world put their trust in pharmacists. These men and women have gone through years of schooling and training and know more about medications we take than we do. ...
Continue reading "Pharmacy Errors More Common Than People Believe" »
Posted on May 5, 2012 By Scott Distasio
Compounding is a process in which a pharmacy mixes medications using bulk ingredients. They are often used when a patient is allergic to inactive ingredients in commercially available and FDA-approved ...
Continue reading "Eye Infections Linked to Pharmacy with History of Errors" »
Posted on Apr 30, 2012 By Scott Distasio
At the Pediatric Academic Society's annual meeting this past Saturday, the findings of a new study were presented. According to the study, children are much more likely to receive the wrong dose ...
Continue reading "Poor Math Skills Linked to Medication Dosage Errors" »
Posted on Apr 26, 2012 By Scott Distasio
If you are traveling and fall ill, you may find yourself at a Rite Aid pharmacy looking for relief. You may find a counter manned by an employee in a white coat, there to offer advice on medications ...
Continue reading "Rite Aid's Wellness Ambassador Program Raises Concerns About Pharmacy Mistakes" »
Posted on Apr 19, 2012 By Scott Distasio
Over the past few years, more and more doctors have stopped writing prescriptions for their patients. Instead, they dispense the necessary medicines in their offices. This process has raised some ...
Continue reading "Concerns Raised Over Practice of Filling Prescriptions In-Office" »
Posted on Mar 26, 2012 By Scott Distasio
Over the past year and a half the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has come under fire from medical experts. In articles published in several medical journals, experts have questioned the ...
Continue reading "FDA Proposes Changes to System For Monitoring Drug Safety Issues" »
Posted on Mar 20, 2012 By Scott Distasio
Any hospital patient who has counted the minutes until her next dose of pain medication can tell you how agonizing that wait can be. Hospital staff accept that medication is “on time” so ...
Continue reading "Patient-Controlled Analgesic Pumps May Cause Medication Errors in Hospital Patients" »
Posted on Mar 15, 2012 By Scott Distasio
Anita Griffie sought emergency medical help at Gaston Memorial Hospital last November when she had trouble breathing. With congenital heart failure, she was frequently in and out of the hospital for ...
Continue reading "Woman Nearly Dies Due to Hospital Medication Error" »
Posted on Mar 13, 2012 By Scott Distasio
When a doctor prescribes you a medication and you take that order to a pharmacy, you do not expect to be given the wrong medicine . You expect to take the prescription and feel better, not that it ...
Continue reading "Eye Drops and Wart Remover With Similar Sounding Names Results in Prescription Error" »
Posted on Feb 15, 2012 By Scott Distasio
An investigation by the California Department of Public Health uncovered numerous pharmacy errors made in nursing homes . During the course of the probe, officials found one woman with a history of ...
Continue reading "Nursing Home Pharmacy Errors Linked to Illegal Kickbacks" »
Posted on Feb 13, 2012 By Scott Distasio
A Novartis medication plant in Lincoln, Nebraska manufactures both over the counter medications like Excedrin and powerful prescription painkillers like Percocet. Due to a potential medicine mix-up , ...
Continue reading "Medication Recalled Due to Concerns of Prescription Painkillers Being Mixed with Over the Counter Drugs" »
Posted on Jan 28, 2012 By Scott Distasio
In 2007, New Jersey teen Scott Simon attended a party and took the Xanax another party-goer was passing out. Then 17, Simon fell into a coma after taking the drugs. Instead of calling for help, the ...
Continue reading "Does Partier Deserve Compensation for Overdosing On Someone Else's Stolen Drugs?" »
Posted on Jan 23, 2012 By Scott Distasio
I recently discussed the dual problems of accidental overdose in children and accidental overdose of acetaminophen. The Food and Drug Administration's attempts at reducing the risk of both may ...
Continue reading "Changes to Infant Medicines May Confuse Parents and Increase Risk of Overdose" »
Posted on Jan 18, 2012 By Scott Distasio
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists examined a program in which hospital pharmacists were involved in discharging patients. According to the study, the percentage of patients discharged ...
Continue reading "Pharmacist Medication Review During Hospital Stay May Reduce Errors" »
Posted on Jan 15, 2012 By Scott Distasio
The results of a new study on the dangers of acetaminophen has revealed “staggered overdoses” may be just as dangerous as a single, larger overdose . A “staggered overdose” ...
Continue reading "Even Small Overdoses of Tylenol Can Be Deadly" »
Posted on Jan 12, 2012 By Scott Distasio
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control have found that a high number of children suffer from accidental overdoses each year. More than 60,000 kids are treated in U.S. emergency rooms because ...
Continue reading "Drug Overdoses In Kids Increasing" »
Posted on Jan 8, 2012 By Scott Distasio
Like many, Lynsey Lee turned to birth control pills to help relieve her severe menstrual symptoms. But after her doctor prescribed Yaz, Lynsey began feeling worse rather than better. Soon after ...
Continue reading "Did Bayer Sell Yaz Birth Control Pill Knowing it Increased Risk for Blood Clots" »
Posted on Jan 4, 2012 By Scott Distasio
A California Health Department investigation uncovered a medication storage problem at Kaiser Foundation Hospital South San Fransisco. The investigation began when two patients received pneumonia ...
Continue reading "Hospital's Drug Storage Mistake Puts Thousands At Risk" »