Posted by zonked on June 17, 2011, at 22:24:14
In reply to Re: Does anyone know..., posted by Terry8 on June 17, 2011, at 14:17:42
>
http://www.healthcarepackaging.com/archives/2009/03/is_a_tipping_point_near_for_un.php
>Fascinating stuff.
> One other thought: there seems to be some subtle move toward the European pre-packaged system in the US, or at least for some on-patent drugs. When I'd pick up a month's supply of Pristiq or Provigil, they'd come in a ready-to-dispense white bottle of 30, with the manufacturer's name on it. The pharmacist would just slap the dispensing sticker on top; no amber bottle filled from a giant pharmacy bottle. (But perhaps this only applies to RXs with silly names starting with P.)
This happens to me sometimes when the quantity of pills prescribed meets or exceeds the quantity in each manufacturer's bottle. (Seemingly at random). If there's a balance, in other words, the manufacturer's bottle has 90 tablets and I am prescribed 120, I get the remainder in the regular amber bottle. This has happened with both brand and generic drugs... it makes sense; the pharmacist doesn't have to count the tablets. (Or DO they? hrmmmm.)
I actually prefer to receive my meds this way - less room for error and the manufacturer's bottles often include cotton balls (or in Nardil's case, both brand and generic, these little canister-like things which presumably absorb moisture.) I ask my pharmacist to include the little canister-like things in my amber bottles just in case.
Dispensing errors are more common than one might think. One time, I received a bottle of "temazepam" which was actually mirtazepine! (I always check the pills against the description on the bottle if they look different to me.) Now just think, if I was taking something that interacted negatively with mirtazepine, what might have happened. (I stopped using that pharmacy immediately.)
Another time, a Walgreens put the wrong strength Lamictal in the bottle. (I also stopped using that Walgreens immediately.)
I fear for seniors, people who just don't (have time to) pay attention, and intellectually low-functioning patients. Deaths and serious medical complications due to dispensing errors are more common than they should be.
Nobody's perfect, but I do agree with the author - using blister packs could cut down on dispensing errors. Jono is right, blister-packs are inherently childproof, and whatever legislation governs these regulations should be amended. Is this high on Congress' to-do list? No, and I understand why but hopefully this issue will be addressed at some point.
-z
poster:zonked
thread:988503
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110610/msgs/988608.html