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Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Causin A Feck

Surprise!
Okay. I guess we shouldn't be surprised. E-Script software is bad. It sucks so bad that my phollowers have started quoting me back to myself: "E-Scripts have not resulted in fewer errors; only more, legible errors." and I love it. 
But what can we possibly do? We can raise awareness by bringing these errors to the people in charge - the programmers, the State Boards of Pharmacy who approved these systems, our feeble State Pharmacy Associations, APhA, or national media outlets. It should be simple.

Q. What is the problem? 
A. Many prescribing errors via e-script software from the lamest typos (PORN instead of PRN) to the life-threatening (wrong drug/dose/strength/frequency).
Q. What is the cause? 
A. The software and user error. 
Q. How do we fix it? 
A. Someone in power and a sense of urgency meets with the software providers to force them to change. 

Think of it this way. 
Q. What happens? 
A. I get a yeast infection. 
Q. What causes it? 
A.  Every prescription I have ever had for an antibiotic. 
Q. How do we fix it? 
A. Prescribe prophylactic dose(s) of fluconazole with each antibiotic. 
Q. Problem solved? 
A. Problem solved.

Me: Did you just compare e-script errors to yeast infections?
CP: Yes. They're constantly irritating and they never seem to go away.
Me: If they never go away, I think something else is wrong with you.
CP: Shh. Don't add logic to my metaphors. It's close enough. They'll get the point.


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