Why a long wait at the pharmacy could be a good thing 

Switched prescriptions, incorrect dosages, incorrect pill numbers – all are an unfortunate result of an industry that has long put patient safety in the rearview mirror. Corporate pharmacies have dangerous practices that go unchecked, since no federal legislation requires pharmacies to report errors.  

Pharmacies reward speedy work 

Nobody likes waiting in line for anything, and consumers are used to instant gratification. And guess what? Corporate pharmacy practices reward employees for working as fast as they can. 

Unfortunately, it’s a no-brainer that this practice is a recipe for disaster. Corporate executives at big chain pharmacies value profit and that means pharmacists are encouraged to fill hundreds of prescriptions rapidly and answer phones quickly.  

This translates to two-minute quotas to fill each prescription. In that time, pharmacists are supposed to verify prescriptions, verify dosage accuracy, check patient history for interactions, double-check the medicine in the bottle, counsel the patient, and answer questions. 

Long shifts contribute to pharmacy errors 

Grueling 12-and13-hour long shifts are common in this industry and the pressure to fill quotas can put any employee on edge. Add to that the fact that pharmacists and technicians are multi-tasking by counseling patients, verifying prescriptions, working the drive-through lane, answering phones, and entering information in the computer, and there is little doubt how errors occur every day.  

There are countless stories of tragic pharmacy errors made nationwide, but most go unreported. Take action against pharmacy errors by ordering our free book, How to Make Pharmacies Pay for Injuries Caused by Medication Errors.