It is said that making errors is not wrong but repeating errors should be avoided. In our daily activities, we make errors in our homes and workplaces. Some errors made in workplaces may result in confusion or even serious problems (FDA, 2011). However, the most important thing is the management of the errors made. The pharmacy student was supposed to confirm that the name on the prescription was the right one before handing it over to the professor.
If I were the pharmacy student who made the error, the first thing I would have done was to acknowledge that an error was made. It is important to acknowledge that errors have occurred instead of denying them. After admitting that an error was committed, I would have remained composed instead of feeling embarrassed because such cases happen (Jenkins, 2007). The next important thing I would have done was to explain to the professor that in the pharmacy, we usually served a large number of people. As a result, sometimes it was difficult to recognize all the people that we served. I would also have explained to the professor that the error made was not in any way intentional and that it would not be repeated in the future. In addition, I would have informed the professor that dealing with several members of the university might have caused the error. Finally, I would have apologized to the professor for any inconvenience caused.
It is very important to prevent the error made from being repeated in the future. Most customers are satisfied when they are given good explanations for errors made. However, if the errors occur repeatedly, they may cause disappointment to the customers. The first way of preventing future occurrence of the error is to avoid calling customers names if the attendant is not sure of their names. This will ensure that the attendants do not give customers the wrong prescriptions. The second way of preventing the error from occurring in the future is by asking customers their names before giving them their prescriptions. Medical attendants should not assume that they know the names of their customers because they may know the wrong names. For instance, the student could not have given the professor the wrong prescription if he had first asked the name of the professor.
To avoid the occurrence of the same errors in the future, it is important to introduce some system changes. Such changes would ensure that common errors are avoided. The first system change that would prevent errors from occurring is increasing the number of medical attendants who issue the prescriptions. This would ensure that enough consultations among the medical staff are made to avoid possible errors. When there is only one medical attendant giving out the prescriptions, errors are likely to occur. The second system change that would prevent errors from occurring is introducing a system of indicating the time the customers visited the pharmacy. This would make it easy for the medical staff to identify the records of the customers. The third system change that would prevent errors from occurring is using tags with customer names on every prescription. This would eliminate any possible commission of errors (Varkey, 2010).
References
FDA. (2011). Medication Errors. Web.
Jenkins, R. (2007). Simple Strategies to Avoid Medication Errors. Web.
Varkey, P. (2010). Medical Quality Management: Theory and Practice. New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning.