20/20's Story on Pharmacy Errors Part 1

[tubedoc16]

Here in Mass, the CVS techs, some of whom I know well, ALWAYS ask if I have questions for the pharmacist, and I always say no, because I've been going there 20-some years.

[2529candy]

well If the pharmacy hires more tecs I'm sure they all wouldnt be under so much pressure. People who never worked on the other side shouldn't speak their minds. I love my job as a pt but i dislike the customers who want you to put them ahead of every one and get their meds done within 5 min. everyone thinks we just type the drug and fill it, but really theres much more to it then you think.

[H0tkebab]

I dunno about America, but I know here in New Zealand, to work as a technician you need to have at least a certificate in Pharmacy.

High school kids, are you fu*king kidding me?! 0_0

[TheMessymommy]

When I was pregnant I had a nasty bladder infection, really nasty. I was given an antibiotic (back in 97) it was suppose to be a 250mg pill, 500mg was a dangerous dose for my baby, before I left I was told to be very careful with dosing anymore then 250 every 8 hours could be dangerous. The pharmacy made the mistake of sending me home with the 500 mg (I didn't know) he realized it after about 15 mins and immediately called me, gave me an apology, a gift card, a refund, and the 250 mg pills.

[yingdiskette]

@TheMessymommy So your point is?

[SNOflake888]

Looks like Glipizide...

One reason wait times have gone up is because all the big chains have coupons for transferring your prescriptions. I HATE these! Instead of using that money to hire more help, they just give it away to patients who aren't even loyal customers! They're only after the money and they transfer the prescriptions back and forth which takes up too much time for these pharmacies!

[LatinVirus89]

walgreens understaff and overworks. i can tell you this is also true of CVS.

[charmingmyth]

@dannad2006 -- you're right! In Michigan, the tech is required to ask EACH patient if they understand what their medication is for, if they have any questions or concerns, and if there is something the pharmacist wants to discuss, there's a small notation on the bag stating such, so when the customer picks up the prescription, you inform them the pharmacist wants to go over the dosage or possible side effects. I've spotted the errors as well.

[charmingmyth]

There's an astounding difference between corporate pharmacies and the local neighborhood pharmacist-owned pharmacies; the independent pharmacist will go out of his way to sit down and discuss the medications with patients because the staff is available (two extra pharmacists and at least five techs on duty), whereas in a corporate pharmacy, it's one pharmacist and two techs against the masses--but it helps to build rapport with a pharmacist, as with your doctor.

[UndisclosedComenter]

Its all suply and demand.

[sweetmomma1000]

you are all right, we are so overworked and understaffed that my head begins to spin after the first 2 hours at work. I have been called every name in the book, screamed at, accused of things that I as a CPht have no control over and every month there are more and more duties dumped on us. I work at a CVS that fills 3800 scripts a week. It's all money. Get more of a script count and make the company more money.

[SpockOfRock]

Who else wants to reach out and crack this disingenuous pharmacy industry woman right across her teeth?

[collieh1]

people want lower costs and better service.

sorry bitch, it doesn't work like that

[ExquisiteNikki]

we're so understaffed i dont think the workers in the pharmacy deserve the blame, its the company who are too greedy to hire and give us more hours and help!!

[ExquisiteNikki]

BLAME the districts!! We never get breaks! We're short handed and rushed by yelling rude customers!! How can we help others when we cannot even help ourselves in the pharmacy??

[MrMee322]

BTW people who ring you up are not pharmacists. In most cases they are not even technicians. They are only cashiers. Any pharmacy has a counseling window. People should always ask us before they buy OTC items. No matter how busy we are, we always check what they get.

[MrMee322]

350 prescriptions per shift?? How about 500 per shift? How about customers who start yelling at us when we tell them they have to wait 15 minutes("Why???? You only have to put my pills in the bottle and slap a label on it") How about counting 90,180,270 pills for each patient manually for 8 hours, having only 1 tech. Pharmacists are the only people who can't take a break. Even a bathroom break. Forget about lunch.

[dannad2006]

I am a nationally certified pharmacy technician in OHIO. Everything I am commenting on is in regards to OHIO law. These are a few things that are inaccurate:

2:54 - They are signing that they don't have any questions for the pharmacist.

5:28 - Pharmacists are definitely overworked! Some work 14 hours straight with no break!

7:07/8:00 - Pharmacists are responsible for checking Rx's. Not technicians!

8:40 - Read the coats!

9:13 - Not possible: Pharmacists' salary > Pharmacy's income.

[lehz]

I don't want to criticize anyone but I guess the best way to make sure that you have the right medication is to Take Responsibility yourself. I always check my medication. If my medication doesnt looks right I make some research, I call pharmacist and even my doctor if I have to :-)

[frekijsimpson]

Now Walgreens is trying to CON people into buying a "Prescription Card" for $20 so that you can get some of your scripts for $4...

WAL-MART DOESN'T MAKE YOU BUY ANYTHING AND YOU CAN GET SOME OF YOUR SCRIPTS THERE FOR $4.00!!!!

It's never enough money, is it Walgreens???

[radicaledward143]

How much of a douche do you have to be to NOT see how stupid this comment is? The Walgreens prescription savings program makes 90-day supplys $12, and has MANY MORE prescriptions on in than Wal-marts $4 generics. Go out and actually LOOK at the medications listed on Wal-marts plan, I believe Amoxicillin is listed in excess of 20 times! and not just different strengths, but the same strength with a different manufacturer, just so ignorant patients will believe that walmart is saving them money

[radicaledward143]

also, FOR YOUR INFORMATION, for WAL-MART, money is the ONLY motivation. Their pharmacy division is a literal BLACK HOLE of money for them each and every day. The pharmacy makes absolutely no money, its only goal is to GET YOU IN THE DAMN STORE so you will hopefully buy stuff while you wait in excess of 2 -4 hours! wait time at a Walgreens/CVS is closer to 15-20 minutes.

AND, that prescription savings card at walgreens, it gives customers who buy it a 10% discount on items throughout the store.

[est623ce]

this is a somewhat exploiting news story. mistakes happen regardless of what industry you're talking about. people are human and no amount of education or experience is going to make you a perfect prescription filling machine. unfortunately even the smallest oversight can have huge consequences in this field. but that's just how it is. the people who pick up medication must at least take some responsibility in knowing what they are putting into their body.

[strawberryfields789]

In June 2010 all pharmacy techs will have to be certified. In this case, the pharmacist should have checked the prescription that she prepared and caught the error before it went out.

[SingingCrab7]

dear god

[twenty1stars]

having worked in the healthcare and currently in the pharmacy field, DO NOT trust the system completely. always read and ask questions and double check if you are not sure, AND this includes any health professionals as well as patients.

[twenty1stars]

i know for a fact that errors like these do happen almost everyday and this is NEVER a good thing! but that's reality when it comes to american mass production and mega retail business corporations tossing their store chains out like rice => there's always a chance for error.

it's like USDA health inspection effort stamping out sick cows; for example, only 40,000 workers to check 500,000 cows? how does that work??

[Eagle198261]

Did you know that a Pharmacist will kill 4 people in there lifetime as a pharmacist. TRUE!

[cwj06001]

According to who? cite the fact or your statement is bs.

[Resplendant68]

Freinds,

Another reason I choose to embark upon a career in Pharmacy Technology. at 40 Yrs Old.

Watch the video, an you'll see the "Method to my madness"

Humanitarianism the way I see it.

"Collateral Damage."

Makes me sick than any PT who needs thier med.

A dicotomomy in a way.

Anyone relate?...

[xLilLx21]

I don't understand how hs students can do this job. This job is very difficult.

[leadfoot210]

yes its highly stressful and difficult but it can be done with dedication.

[Eagle198261]

How do you figure? A tech is a person that does a small job for the pharmacist. He counts, puts in btl, gives both the btl and the drug to the pharmacist to check and it goes out. This is ONLY true in retail. Hospital pharmacy is much different. Whole nother story.

[PharmacistCounseling]

Large chain pharmacy's make money off of the pills being sold and the insurance claim being processed. Eventhough most states require pharmacist counseling when a new prescription is filled, the big chains do not want the pharmacist to take the time counsel patients. If you were to do so, then your KPI's (Key Performace Indicators) will get behind, and this will be brought up on your review. They are not concerned with you as the patient, they are concerned with the bottom line.

The Worlds RPH

[applesalamanderpie]

Its all such a shame. There is NO excuse for ANY errors. Dont take the job if you cant do it right. I worked in a pharmacy & a hospital & made NOT one mistake w/any meds. To the people who make these mistakes, get another job & a conscience too.

[azorean2000]

Never say never...you're certainly not God...We are all humans. I am finishing up my Pharmacy degree and I will probably work retail...I know retail is hell because people think the pharmacy is like McDonald's. I will strive to work diligently while being accurately.  This is hard because of people's ignorance about the profession...before you judge others take a walk in there shoes!

[cwj06001]

You obviously haven't worked in a pharmacy too long. Everyone makes a mistake sometime. You just gotta hope it's not a serious error

[Eagle198261]

I have for over 10 years. My dad is a Pharmacist.

[goldenrobyn1]

In Texas, they are looking for ways to hold both pharmacist and technicians resonsible. If you work in a pharmacy , technicians as well as the pharmacists need to assure that the correct product gets to the patient. If you have a technician which is not careful, mistakes will increases.

[drillahmon]

this is the dumbest documentary ever. The tech fills prescription and the pharmacist checks it. Its the pharmacsits responsibility to verify not the techs.

[Eagle198261]

I guess you never worked for the govt.

[drillahmon]

i do work for the government thank u very much. In hospital it is tech check tech but this isnt a hospital pharmacy now is it.

[Eagle198261]

I work for a govt hospital as well. But..what drug was that??

[zadryum]

the media is obviously gonna show the mistakes, what about the things they do right

[hentaiseeker]

The reason a pharmacy can't just hire a whole bunch of Pharm.D's is that they get about 4 times as much pay as a tech gets. All it takes to be a good tech is to be born a good math wiz, be computer savvy and can memorize dozens of generic/brand names. That's it. Expecting me to know how drugs work for the shitty pay is not worth my time. Give me $50 dollars an hour rather than $12 and I'll learn how the meds work. Dumb schools have it all wrong.

/disgruntled ph.tech

[cwj06001]

hentaiseeker,

if ur so disgruntled, then quit. most pharm tech's at are worth having are in pharmacy school becoming a pharmacist. Those are the people who learn how the meds work for there own understanding and to prepare for there future. If your not going into pharm. school and your are that pissed, then quit cause it will only get harder and the pay wouldn't get much better.

[hentaiseeker]

The problems with pharmacies:

Only experienced techs are worth anything but schools churn out graduates that most of the time can't even calculate an amoxicillin dose. It's worse when the vicious cycle occurs of not being able to get experience without experience.

[macgolfracer]

shit im going to skoo right now, so ima be certified baby, wont make the mistakes like that at least theyll be to a minimum

[frericjk]

as a pharmacy student, this video is appalling. not only are they only portraying one side, but they're doing so in a way that is insanely misleading. In no way should that tech be held responsible for the error. The pharmacist is the one who dispenses the medication and as such is responsible for catching any errors. That being said, humans make mistakes. Understandably some are worse than others, but they shouldn't comment about this pharmacist still working at Walgreens like she's a criminal.

[iignoreyou]

Error,the pharmacy tech filled the prescription,not the pharmicist,she admiited that on this vid!Rewatch,attention is everything,please gain that!

[frericjk]

the tech admitted to filling the prescription. fine, seeing as how there are many different points at which she could have helped "fill" the prescription. the pharmacist is legally responsible for checking every prescription before it gets to the customer. even if the tech did the whole thing (which I doubt), someone should have been looking over her telling her no, I need to do that. still not ultimately the tech's fault.

[cwj06001]

At walgreens, a tech can type in the prescription in to the comp. and before anyone can fill the pharmacist VERIFIES what is typed matches the written script. Then a tech may fill the script. The drug bottle must be scanned by the tech, so that the NDC number is VERIFIED. Then the pharmacist performs a finial VERIFICATION where the look at the drug, and typed info and the script to see if it is all correct. only then it go out. The pharmacist is supposed to check it so the tech ok.

[lexmarkz615]

this is scary im starting PHARMACY TECH this saturday idont want pressure

[overmind2]

people should be able to go into a back room and watch their medicine being filled to make sure its the correct one.

[cwj06001]

haha, i'm sure you can tell what EVERY little white pills is.

worst idea ever.

[smthngxwckd]

first let me start by saying nobody is perfect no matter their role in peoples lives, I am a tech at a pharmacy, and first you should know what meds you are on and always check the bottle says that right med then look at the descrption of the drug and make sure it matches then none of this would of happened, yes the pharmacy is to blame but aslo yourself

[georgemjazz]

some of these customers expect to have their medications done in 5 min. not understanding that they are not only putting pressure on us technicians but also endagering other people by pressuring us to hurry up. they need to understand that it takes time to get things right, and then these stupid people yell at us like if everythig is our fault when they have need to chill. but yeah we as health care providers need to pay extra attention in everything we do because what if its our family member

[eikenhein]

Its not a problem with the customers, its a problem with the companies that put pressure on pharmacists and pharm techs to fill prescriptions quickly.

[cwj06001]

eh that is partly true, but I also fell it's the doctors fault for over-prescribing.

[kobsthaschiznit]

I really wish this story could have been reported by someone who has some experience in pharmacy or maybe even health care in general. Not some idiot reporter that want to get the public all hyped up.

[jtld28]

As a phamacy tech, working in a hospital pharmacy, errors do happen. The pharmacist is responsible by checking every medication and IV that leaves the pharmacy. Yes, working in the pharmacy field, there are demanding people, and it does get stressful. There are mistakes that happen everyday in the medical setting, not just the pharmacy. Don't blame the techs, we are under a lot of pressure too.

[goldenrobyn1]

Its both the pharmacist and the technicians fault. When you are forced to fill based on time, thats a problem too.

[jaydude28]

its also the doctors fault, insurance and so on and so forth, Walgreens is very highly respectful to its customers, but the customer also is responsible for making sure there taking the proper medication.

[rlal85]

Pointing fingers at the tech on duty, or the pharmacist isn't going to bring the people lost because of medication errors back.

I am currently enrolled in tech school and seriously, both the tech and pharmacist are responsible. As a tech, you should check the order you are filling not twice but at least 3 times. And you MUST make sure the pharmacist checks the medication correctly.

[PajDawb88]

Chains like walgreens have such high demand and make money no matter what but because they are greedy they don't hire that many pharmacists. It's all about the money. Unfortunately the Capitalistic face of America. Also there aren't enough Pharmacy schools in the US...i repeat the entire US only has like 98 Pharmacy schools...where is all the real professionalism going to come from?

[jaydude28]

blame the drug companies for not finding the cure to the dieases of the world, they want us to be sick, and then die, when its all said and done they want to make the money, Walgreens is trying to cure the person, but the customer should also do research as to what is causing their suffering.

[Heatherhb03]

The errors in all these instances should reflect on the pharmacist - not the technician. The pharmacist is supposed to check everything before it leaves the pharmacy.  They should catch the error.

[Heatherhb03]

The mother of the little girl said that the diabetic med she received caused a seizure that led to her condition now. Does that mean that when the child had a seizure she injured herself in such a way to cause her condition or that the intake of the medicine into her system caused the condition?

[dfdesilu08]

I am a pharamcy tech at walgreens. And I dont feel sorry for any of the people in this video. Each vial tells what the pill markings are and the color. How could you take a medication without checking this first. Its common sense. And when you have several people in line and they are all cranky, sick and in a hurry what is a pharmacy technician to do? If people would learn how to be patient and read all information with their prescriptions then they should be fine when they leave the RX COUNTER!

[CtrlAltDL337]

I know exactly what you mean; I'm an ancillary at an independent pharmacy and in America, it is RIDICULOUS as to how spoiled and child-like the patients are. Grown adults coming in for rx's 13 days early, demanding a refill, oblivious to their own coverage by their government granted insurance.

[emoed]

i'm a 17 year old pharmacy tech. at the pharmacy i work at (a small family owned business) a pharmacist always checks the prescription. after i count the pills i put the stock bottle next to the customers bottle with the label on it and the pharmacist checks it. it's not the underage pharmacy tech's fault, its the pharmacist who was supposed to check it.

[skarlosska]

WOW, 16 year old Pharmacy Techs?? That's insane, I think these huge chain pharmacies need to stop trying to same a few bucks by paying teens to fill scripts and replace them with nationally or state certified pharmacy techs that have been properly by accredited school. I am a technician and it angers me to hear that they would probably hire a minor over myself who is experienced.

[jenniferl7192]

I have never worked in a walgreens or other chain pharmacy but can someone who has tell how many prescriptions a pharmacy technican fills per shift on average. Do most of these have automation? Are the same technicians also entering the prescriptions in the system? Do the same technicians serve as clerks?

[jenniferl7192]

I work in an independent pharmacy that fills over 1000 prescriptions daily but has 4 full time pharmacists and 6 full time pharmacy technicians- all working the same shift daily. With this many people sharing the load, it is very difficult to make a serious mistake and not catch it before the drug is dispensed to the patient. I'm glad I do not work in a chain that is too tight with money to employ the help it needs to fill presciptions safely and at a reasonable pace.

[whofan2679]

This is so wrong that high school students are filling prescriptions and I'm a certified Pharmacy Technician and took the test and I can't get a job. They need to change the system

[zxcvkq]

Dude Pharmacist and Pharmacy Techs are all humans. There's room for error. Human error is inevitable.

[colgatesmiley]

Dammit.

I want to become a doctor or a pharmacist.

Someone in the medicine field.

But now that I think about it...Once you graduate, lives are depending on you, your signature become a powerful tool

[rozy71]

They do offer counseling. The people say they have no questions, you can not force people to listen. You have it all wrong. You try to make people look bad, because you are ignorant. How does she know they are taking the aspirin and coumadin togeter, unless the patient asks about it.

[rozy71]

I've been a customer at a lot of other pharmacies, and Walgreen's is by far the best. The other one's don't ask you anything.And Walgreen's does a damn near perfect job!!!

[rozy71]

I've been a customer at a lot of other pharmacies, and Walgreen's is by far the best. The other one's don't ask you anything.And do a damn near perfect job!!!

[rozy71]

The tech's are trained extremely well. They do ask if there is any questions. It is checked if there are interactions with any prescription medicine. You don't see what is in the package when you sell it to the customer. You ask there name and verify it is them. You have no way of knowing there will be any interaction with other things they buy. It's absurd to even think so, unless the customer asks if it's ok. You can't blame the pharmacy. You have no right focusing on Walgreen's!

[rozy71]

Walgreens does 350 to 600 scripts a day, per store. 2 bad errors all though they're not acceptable, that is nothing compared to all the scripts that are done. And the doctor's write so horribly, the script probablly said 10 mg on it. The pharmacist is there to check to make sure these errors do not happen.

[markiexp85]

Rx does more harm then good. if Rx did help wouldn't u think that they would lose money if everybody became healthy? don't be closed minded open ur minds, don't let them tell u what to think.

[cacarach]

Tech: Enter Rx in comptuter, count pills and stick labels

Pharmacist: Take the Rx, enter the file and check if its ok: intereactions, dosage, condition used for (right choice), call MD and council patient ... the only problem is the workload, the idiot patients in a hurry; not the presence of technicians

[benschoter87]

Drugs are not allways the way to go. Chicken soup for the cold not Rx. Cold towel for the head and leave the drugs at the store.

[rockelscorcho]

When I was an undergrad, I wanted to be a pharmacist. So, I volunteered at my local Walgreens. It's a fast paced job with an opportunity for error constantly. Also, the techs know how to do the job, yet it is true that many can be very uneducated in the field. I changed my mine after a while, I never felt the pharmacy field did much of anything and instead chose science. My advice, don't expect anyone to help you out. Count your pills and check them online for photos and description.

[hamwinkie]

I check all my meds at home with the numbers, colors, shape etc. I will NOT take anything that is not what I know it is. Responsibility people.

[terrijane61]

People need to stop pressuring the Pharmacy to get it done NOW!! This is not McDonalds. It amazes me how all they seem to be concerned about is getting their Rx's FAST!! They line up like CATTLE and stare, make rude comments, and distract the poor RPH, verbally abuse the RPH and us Tech's, adding to the distractions which potentially cause mistakes.

[colgatesmiley]

AMEN!

I hate when people make rude comments to pharmacist!

They spend an avarage of 6 years in collage and pharmacy school so they can be worked like dogs by big corporations like walgreens later on in life.

[terrijane61]

Exactly! And what makes matters worse is that where I work (Wal-Mart) a man got irate because his rx took longer to fill than what he would have liked, (45 min) so after he called me a b**ch, and called the Pharmacist a Fat F**king Pig, Wal-Mart "rewarded" him with a free $25.00 gift card for his "inconvenience".

[colgatesmiley]

I know!

This report makes them look like bad irresponsible people!

[terrijane61]

That's the media for ya! They take a story like this, and bash everybody in the industry! Millions of prescriptions are filled CORRECTLY every day, but the media wants to tarnish the reputation of this profession. They have no idea how difficult this job is.

[noumsijeannette]

Yes they are a little bit rude but community pharmacies should hire more licensed pharmacists, pharmacy students and EXPERIENCED TECHNICIANS. Those 16 years old non certified technicians should be pharmacy clerk first. Errors are human, that's a fact but people with experience make less mistakes than the average. Besides, filling a Rx is not an individual job but the patient health care team job.

[noumsijeannette]

Wahou that's terrible. There should be a law where bad customers should be punished. Giving that gift card is actually encouraging people to go on.

[Devoted524]

What a sad story. I feel terrible for that girl and her family. But most people don't realize how rushed the pharmacies are, and many phramcy tech are NOT certified. Personally, I think it should be law that all people working in the pharamcy should be RPH or CPhT's. All healthcare professionals make mistakes, they are no different than anyone else.

Also, why didn't they talk to someone from Walgreens Corprate office regrading how many Rx's they require to be filled each shift?

[rebs915]

no one deserves to have the wrong medication dispensed to them, however, pharmacists and doctors are only human and are not perfect. mistakes are an unfortunate part of this business. as a a patient, take responsibility and discuss with your MD what is prescribed, how you should take it, etc. then READ THE LABELS ON YOUR BOTTLES and the leaflet that comes with your medication before you take it.

[TheSpiceMustFlow]

I'm a pharmacist, and it seems to me that these journalists cavalierly condemn a profession they know absolutely nothing about. Of course, it didn't help that the pharmacy representative that spoke FOR the profession was a complete moron. No one wants to hurt you. Give us a break.

[terrijane61]

I'm a Tech, with 14 years experience. Last night from 5-7pm we filled 125 Rx's. One Rx per minute!

One RPH and 2 techs on duty. Between the phone interruptions & customers yelling at the RPH from the counter about "taking too long", it is a miracle more mistakes don't happen in this profession. People will sit in the Dr.'s office for 3 hours, but they don't want to wait 3 MINUTES at the pharmacy! The poor RPH was sweating!

[hamwinkie]

Tell the "customers" to shut up and wait! Too serious of an exchange.

[terrijane61]

500 character limit. Part 2: We Techs try to be the "buffer" and handle as many problems that we LEGALLY can, but the pressure on RPH's is unimaginable! Customers want it done NOW. Screaming, sick children, people lined up, glaring at the RPH and loudly complaining. I would venture to say that most of these people have never had to work with the public! They have no clue what we endure in the Pharmacy. RPH's are wonderful. I'm honored to be their helper!

[rebs915]

i am deeply saddened by the errors in this program, however: RPHs are rushed to get rxs finished FAST instead of at a safe pace, b/c often those dropping them off are rude/forceful towards the staff. if you're told it will take 2+ hours, don't complain! there's a reason: to ensure that it's correct/SAFE. meds are CHEMICALS that you're putting into your body - give the RPH time to make sure that it's the right treatment/strength for you, instead of complaining that you want it NOW.

[nkmaddox]

This is ridiculously biased.

THe only thing I have to add is how do people expect them to staff only pharmacists? Pharmacists are paid $60-90,000 a year. NO business could stay up with having that payroll for many people, no matter how big they are.

[imfungidd]

retail is crazy.. i'm working like crazy

[jasonmai87]

that pharmacist..Bill Zaeske, is my pharmacy manager right now

[Jlee91]

Omg! I am going to be very careful and paranoid about pharmacies now!

[gaylord4life]

the little girl from chicago is quite a tragic case. How would all of you guys feel if someone close to you was destined to the same fate because of huge mistake like that. Also 20/20 is right; what's the point of opening up so many walgreens when pharmacy employees at the one's that are functioning don't even have time for breaks.

[atfieldforayanami]

apparently you can't delete posts on youtube, now i know

[atfieldforayanami]

20/20 is targetting walgreens, if CVS affects abc broadcasts, this is pathetic. Employees try thier BEST at the pharmacies I've worked at. What about the millions of patients who die from not taking their meds or not getting them filled. Pharmacists review EVERY SINGLE prescription, and they are overworked and eat NOTHING for 10 hrs or more. I bet you if I parade that 8 yr old girl around for any random cause, people will feel sympathetic and want to WATCH YOUR SHOW.

[atfieldforayanami]

GJ 20/20, going after Walgreens (one of the safest in the world) and making the pharmacy staff seem incompetent in order to make money off your broadcast. Employees do the best they can while 20/20 and corporations claw for as much money as they can get. I never knew how much 20/20 blew things out of proportion to make money until this video. From now on I take care of my own and trust no one.

[4ube]

the mom could have read the pill too, instead of trusting the system.

[joybeeme78]

i wish that little girl was in a better state of health. however we will never know how that misfill affected her life. she was ill to begin with. sad. pharmacy errors are kept track of. pharmacy is field that neeeds work but it also needs patience.

[collapse7]

Yes. This is biased. I work in a pharmacy. I am going to quit because of the stress. We are all over worked, and have impossible demands to meet. It's run like a McDonalds. Bad evil system. It's all about people at the top trying to make more money. It makes me sick.

[mdcnmn]

Two nights ago I spent over half an hour traqcking down the Dr. on a drug allergy for a pediatric patient and got the med changed. The father showed up before I was finished filling the med acted like I was wasting his time by saving his child from a possible anaphylalctic schock or at the least an unhappy night night of itching. Damned if you do your job and damned if don't.

[anubishadow]

excatly i'm with pekao5, in the 3 months working as a pharmacy tech for Walgreens i've seen two cases where the stupid ass doctor tried to give a baby vicodin, what do u think that would've done to the baby hmmm....we should be priased for catching those mistakes, but it's all about propoganda.

[gypsy1971]

This is a tragic story but everyone makes mistakes. Everyone. A missing child proof cap, keep your medications out of the reach of children. Shortage of pills, go back & get the rest. If I am concerned about interactions, I ask. It would be great if you could spend a half hour on each rx, but then you have patients standing in line screaming at you for being too slow. No matter what you lose.

[pochaccogoddess]

We're told that we should not assume things about our pts due to HIPAA issues and the fact that we may insult our pts, but how are we supposed to know what our pts do at every step, every part of their life??

[pochaccogoddess]

Should I assume that a pt was taking another medication, which I did once to a pt who was taking Penicillin (I told this pt that if she was on oral contraceptives, antibiotics decrease the efficacy of oral contraceptives, so she should use back up just in case), the pt got a bit flustered at me and said, "uhh...no, I don't use oral contraceptives."

[pochaccogoddess]

What about the good pharmacists do and the interactions that we do catch?? And as for drug interactions, I have known many pts who are poly-pharmacy, so there are many times where I don't know they are taking a medication that could interact with an over-the-counter med??

[pochaccogoddess]

As a pharmacist, I have to say that working 12 to 14 hr shifts, being overworked w/o mandatory lunch or washroom breaks, being understaffed because of the shortage, having to be the only pharmacist on duty during a long 12 hr shift where everything goes thru your hands for final verification before it goes out is very strenous.

[DownHomeGirl]

Yes the "signing away your rights" thing is definitely misleading. BUT-- This show highlights a HUGE problem in the profession. Pharmacists ARE overworked and corporate chains DO put profit over safety. As someone in pharmacy school right now, and working at a pharmacy as an intern, I can tell you that this report highlighted a lot of things that consumers SHOULD know. Pharmacists are overworked, understaffed, and pressured by corporate to do their jobs in unsafe conditions.

[desaisonam]

this is sooo biased!!...n they are targeting walgreens like anything!!...what abt the other pharmacies?!!?...its not Walgreen's trying to make money..its the abc folks...trying to make money..by showing all this biased stuff...

[kissuck]

it's hard to say cos USA is so big and the population is so high...to truely come out of the shell and admit one's mistake would be a nightmare for the pharmacy community...they would have to spend more money to compensate the loss and the funds to teach their staffs...but on the other hand, they have to admit that they are wrong...if this kind of things continue...more people will fall ill for taking wrong pills or doses...

[coinoperated07]

I'm a pharmacy tech and I've been one since I was 16. We've never had a problem like this. How do they expect us to fix the OVERWORKED part. That's not our problem if there's a shortage.

I work at Walgreens and honestly, this is complete crap. It's so biased. Guess what? CVS funds ABC broadcasts....

[Pekao5]

Wheres the special on how many mistakes doctors make writing the prescriptions, and then are caught and corrected by pharmacists.

[joekuta]

And in the video, when the customer was not given consultation for a "drug interaction"? The customer asked if he could simply purchase an OVER-THE-COUNTER product, not ever asking about any interaction with their Rx. This is out of jurisdiction. Is the technician who sold the product supposed to know about what the customer does on his own time, in his own home, all the time, as well? I can't wait for part two!

[Hereticmnk]

I agree completely !! I am currently studying to be a pharmacist and am a tech now and it just makes me mad as to how biased this video really is ...

[joekuta]

This report is completely biased. Go to the best hospital in your state, ask the same questions, you will get the same answers.Doctors are a lot worse. As stated, the few errors, out of several MILLION every day, are still too many. When a plane crashes, it should not happen either. The report has the average viewer believe false pretense.Most work is done by technicians, but NONE of this work is unchecked by licenced pharmacists. NO consulation or recommendation is done without the pharmacist.