I would like to point out a few points that are overlooked in the report that aired on 20/20 regarding pharmacy errors. First of all, the pharmacists have the final say on prescriptions. They are the ones responsible for verifying that the work the technicians have done is correct. Now think of all the interruptions that other people have written about. Secondly, one of the primary interruptions comes from patients who believe that the Burger King mantra "have it your way" applies to pharmacy. This is just not true. This is your health. Patients should never pressure pharmacists to get their prescriptions filled in less than 15 minutes. It is unrealistic and adds another dimension of unnecessary stress to the already-strapped pharmacist. Thirdly, many states, do, in fact, require internal error reporting in the form of Quality Assurance programs, which are aimed at examining each and every error that occurs and using that to implement necessary changes in work flow so as to prevent prospetive errors. Yes, in this report, the cashiers are mis-informed as to what patients are actually signing when they pick up prescriptions. That can't be denied. But it is imperative to look at the entire picture before automatically writing off all community pharmacies. Pharmacists, now required to have Doctor of Pharmacy degrees at entry level, are a great resource for pharmacologic therapies, medication profile examination, and a wealth of other information about patient health from diet modifications for diabetic patients, to herbal and supplement counseling for patients interested in alternative medicines. Don't discount your pharmacist. Make him/her your friend. I promise you, you won't regret it.

The R.Ph. are "dictated" by non-professional "store-managers" to get Rx done in 10 minutes or less or "else".Interruptions are biggest problem.Working long hours hours without qualified help & no breaks other problem.Not getting "sick" time is othr problem.I have worked "sick" many times.Language barrier,"accent" all leads to "mis-fil".Being R.Ph. for more than 30 years, going through all changes( from manual typewiter to computers),and with more modernization & computerization ,the problems & stress level for R.Ph. are at the highest level.In fact, most computer programs for pharmacy chains are developed by " hight tech computer gurus" who are not Pharmacists. And most of the time even the brilliant R.Ph. & qualified techs. don't understand them,as there is never proper training for new technology.

20/20,

I am a pharmacist and was highly disgusted by your report. You need to do a story on the flip side of the coin. It seems that a lot of pharmacists are blaming the lack of breaks for errors. Fortunately, I work for a chain drug store that allows us a 30 minute lunch break. We actually shut down the pharmacy for this. You would not believe how many complaints we get about this. Apparently this is a big 'inconvenience' for our patients who are too impatient to wait. Mind you, they just came from a doctor's office that sometimes has a 2+ hour wait to be seen and the doctor's office closes for at least 1 hour for lunch. They can wait patiently there, but will not accept a half-hour break for the pharmacist.

I work a 10 hour shift, this is the only break I get! A bigger topic should be 'customer impatience' and/or 'customer ignorance' when it comes to pharmacy. You would not believe how many times I am on the phone with a doctor's office and a customer walks by and yells out out to me "where are the q-tips?" and other various store related questions. They stand there waiting for an answer, they do not care how busy I am or the fact they just interrupted me. The perception of retail pharmacy it that we just dump the pills from the big bottle and put them in a little bottle. This perception needs to be changed. We are not fast-food pharmacy (even though some retail stores have drive-thurs) America expects everything now, now, now. Errors happen when we are rushed. Pharmacists have a very important role.

I would like to address the 22% error rate that the investigators incurred. First, the 'error' of ringing up aspirin along with purchasing Coumadin is flawed. A lot of times people pick up medication for others. I could see an error occurring if the individual actually spoke with the pharmacist and specifically asked if they can take aspirin along with coumadin and the pharmacist saying that is ok to take. However, that would not provide shocking statistics for your investigation. The fact is, pharmacists do not have time to ring up medications.

I am writing in response to the news segment that aired regarding pharmacy errors. First of all, I am a pharmacist that no longer practices as a pharmacist due to the very issues that others have written in about. As a pharmacist, you hold yourself to a very high standard to care for your patients and be there for them. However, the corporation you work for dictates the environment that you work in and unfortunately for both pharmacists and patients, they are motivated by profit and that comes from high volume script fills. Based on this fact, the corporation works pharmacist for long hours with no breaks, usually standing on your feet all day, and does not promote counseling of patients as it does take time to counsel properly.

Pharmacists are at three times the risk of the average population to have heart attacks and commit suicide. I went to pharmacy school because I wanted to care for my community but upon graduation I realized that it was not possible to give the high level of care that patients deserve so I left the full time practice of pharmacy in 2000 and never looked back. I now work as a pharmaceutical sales rep where my expertise is valued. If the government and patients themselves don't care about their health and wants their prescriptions rushed and are always looking for the "cheapest" place to get their prescrition then you will continue to reinforce to the large chain drug stores that this is the best business model....and yes continue to put yourself and your family at risk of serious injury and even death from misfilled prescription errors.

If you want better service, then pay the extra few dollars and go to an independently owned pharmacy where you will get personalized service, a pharmacist who knows you and your family and who really cares about your well being. Support the independents!!!

Dele Obaitan, R.Ph., MBA

As a registered Pharmacist for 25 years, I felt your news story was fairly accurate. However, Walgreen seemed to to singled out. I do not work for Walgreen, but I feel they are no better or worse than any other Pharmacy. Mail order is even worse, at least if there are questions concerning the medication a retail store has immediate access to a pharmacist to clear up any confusion. Sure, you can call the mail order pharmacy, but be very patient. Pharmacists are not in control of their professional practice. How can a person work 8 to 15 hour shifts without a scheduled break or lunch, answer the phone, manage a drive thru, ring register, counsel patients, figure out an insurance card that is incomplete while talking to a helpdesk in a third world country, have unqualified techs helping you and not make errors.

I want to know where the State Board of Pharmacy is? Could it be, pharmacists employed by CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreen and other chains that are members of the Stae Board of Pharmacy look out for corporate affairs. In most states they will not initiate laws limiting Pharmacist /tech ratio, manditory tech liscences, drive thru pharmacy, manditory counseling ext. In My State the Board will not handle issues involving employee/employer relations. Only when a law is broken or consumer complaint will they intervene. I can have 25 sixteen year old high school drop outs working under one pharmacist and fill 1500 pescriptions and still be legal in this state. Then if there is a law requiring manditory counseling for every new prescriptions is required, how does the UPS/FedEx/mailman counsel on mail order prescriptions.

Pharmacy is big bussines. How can CVS tender 27 Billion dollars for a mail order/third party claims administrater and cut help in their Pharmacy's.

I am a pharmacist at a large grocery chain pharmacy. I try to be very conscientious about performing my duties and avoiding errors. I think it is extremely important for patients (customers) to be aware of several things. #1: if this is a new prescription, do not decline counseling. It always annoys me when problems occur on prescriptions, when they may have been caught by the pharmacist at counseling, but the patient was in too big of a hurry to wait for cousnel. I frequently hear nurses say, "I don't need counseling, I'm a nurse." No offense to nurses, but there are things the pharmacists can tell even other health professionals about the correct usage of prescriptions that they may be unaware. The patient should always try to be aware of why the drug is prescribed.

We don't always have that information and have to make assumptions. #2: if this is a refill, look at the drug in the vial and if it looks different, ask the pharmacist why.
#3: if you send someone else in to buy your prescription, make sure they know the names of the drugs they are being sent for.

Many of the errors our pharmacy have experienced is when the wrong person's medication is sold to a patient. And sometimes, the person takes that medication without noticing that the name on the prescription label is not their own. So, for God's sake, read the label and the stickers on the vial and the information that comes with the prescription. It might just save your life.

I would like to address the 20/20 story with the Coumadin error. The patient received 10 mg Coumadin when it should have been for 1 mg. One of the reasons for medication errors is the use of dangerous abbreviation and leading/trailing zeros along with poor doctor's hand writing. I would like to see the actual prescription on that one. Maybe the doctor wrote Coumadin 1.0 mg, thus, appearing as 10 mg.

I am a licensed pharmacy technician for the state of California. I have been so since 1999. I am now a pharmacy technician program director for a vocational school. I think the story that aired on Friday was extremely biased.

In California a ptech must attend 720 hours of an accredited school, have a high school diploma, be over the age of 18, and submit to a background and drug test prior to employment prior to even being able to handle medication.

Dispensing medication is an extremely important job that must be done with a precise knowledge and practice. I take my professional seriously and it was unfair and inadequate presentation of the pharmacy technician.

"Chain drugstores are spending millions of dollars on new technology that will prevent medication errors...." The bottom line is that nothing will replace properly trained personnel. I have been an intern at a large chain pharmacy for 4 years, and if you don't have knowledge of the drugs that you are working with on a daily basis, no amount of technology will save you. Many techinicians are young because the starting salary - usually around $8.50 per hour (Taco Bell starts over $9.00 per hour) is more appealing to a high school student than to an older person with perhaps a mortgage, car payment, and family to support. Pharmacy technicians are improperly trained, and pharmacists face the task of catching and correcting multiple errors per day. It is imperative that a standard program be implemented for education of pharmacy technicians, such as a required 2-year associates degree.

The resounding conclusion is that the profession of pharmacy is not yet respected as part of a patient's overall healthcare. Chain pharmacies and patients expect too much of their pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. We constantly multi-task, and are over-worked. This is a bad recipe for a medication error to occur. It could happen to anyone at anytime. It is important for patients to be just that - patient! Don't expect things done yesterday, and understand that we are working to improve your health. If you want to be sure that your prescription is filled properly and that you receive all of the important accompanying information and counseling, just give us adequate time to do our job properly.

20/20,
I have been working in this profession for 12 years. I started out as a pharmacy cashier/technician and then as an pharmacy intern until I completed pharmacy school with a Doctorate in Pharmacy. Yes, the hours can be grueling. Thankfully, I work for Walgreens, who does not have long hours. Most shifts are 8 hours and we do get lunch breaks. I have never worked for any other retailer in the pharmacy business. So I don't have any comparisons to go upon other than heresay, which is usually not good.

I was extremely upset at the so-called "investigative reporting" that was done about errors in the pharmacy. Yes, errors are made, that is to be human. But errors are made by everyone, from doctors,nurses, technicians, pharmacists and even patients themselves.

I think it's high time that patient take responsibility for themselves. They need to ask their doctors the names of their medication they will be getting and what they are used for before coming to the pharmacy. This is your health we're talking about. If patients want to don't take care of themselves, then who does the blame ultimately fall on?

You recently did an investigation of the major retail pharmacies and mistakes. You focused on Pharmacy technicians and how poorly educated they are at certain retailers. I work for a Midwest chain pharmacy and I have a national certification AKA CPhT. There is a national test for both retail and hospital techs. It is the National Board of Pharmacy Technicians. I think you should do a story on how properly trained techs can actually help the RPh and help catch mistakes. We have a "triple check system" for RX's. There is a lot of info we could give you. Pharmacy techs are the biggest help for an RPh. I have been one for 14 years. I also am a college graduate, not a 16 yr. old high school student. Also the laws vary from state to state on who can work behind that counter. That is what the NPTB is trying to do....maintain a standard of quality in the pharmacy! Wow, there is so much more to talk about on the subject, especially the catching of errors and being a patient advocate.
Please consider this subject for a future story.

I see the pharmacists are upset and complain of long hours no breaks etc,please there is lots of jobs allot more stressful then putting a pill in a bottle,try hanging off a side of a building with foreman yell hurry,or landing a plane or hundreds of planes. And of not having breaks or lunch,that is on the worker,speak up. one mistake was too much in that kids life,it was very good story,if your gonna give excuses maybe go to another job to fit your level of stress.

I am a patient that takes 12 different meds a day. I have never encountered a mistake at any pharmacy that has provided important medications such as Prograft, Cellcept and prednisone. Immuno suppressants vital to retain a transplanted kidney. The bottom line is that the patient is responsible for their health. Take notes of your doctors orders on how and when to take your medication. A large part of prolonged health problems is the misconception that your doctor is 100% responsible for your health. You are in charge. My advice. Always follow your doctors orders.

As a Nurse I can empathize with the Pharmacists. Having your environment controlled by a corporate body puts money ahead of people. Our liscences serve as a convienent buffer for the corporation so that when mistakes happen, the corporate body can conviently fry the liscensed provider and move on.
I trust my unit pharmacist and the advice he gives. He helps me keep my patients safe and ensures they have accurate drug information.
Until we have more political will than capital, I don't see the problem going away in the near future.

I was extremely disgusted by your misleading report on 20/20 and have been fielding angry questions from our customers ever since. First of all, I am a nationally certified technician but I started out in this business as a "high-school kid". All pharmacies that I have worked for run this way and have run with their help for as long as I can remember. Remember that these "kids" are where a majority of new pharmacists come from. We need to stop blaming technicians and realize the truth. You should have made it clear that although we physically fill the prescription, no prescription leaves the pharmacy without first being thoroughly checked by a registered pharmacist for errors. Any mistakes then become their responsibility. Without these "kids" pharmacies would not be able to function. As a news reporting authority, I am disgusted by your disregard for the truth and will no longer go to you for information. Telling half of the truth is not reporting the news. You are no more than shock jocks trying to create ratings by scaring people. As pharmacists and technicians, we are not out to kill our patients. You should do a report on how many lives we have saved by catching errors by doctors. These happen 10 times more often than miss-fills.

I work for a retail pharmacy as a technician and was disgusted that there are actually states out there that allow high school students to fill prescriptions who are not certified. If myself I am unsure even a little bit on how the doctor wrote it or what exactly the medicine is I go directly to the pharmacist to verify. I know alot of technicians who do not do this and i also know alot of pharmacists who seem to be bugged by you when you constatly ask, as if you are unable to do your job. Myself, I ask all the time and I feel that my pharmacists get annoyed with me, but I rather be safe than sorry. In the state of California you may not ask if they have any questions for the pharmacist, you are to just simply say, "I see this is a new prescription I will hav the pharmacist come over and go over this with you". If they decline then we have them sign in the appropriate area. CVS is really making alot of changes with their system and training is extensive. I am still going through training to be certified as technician in CVS pharmacy and I am PTCB certified.
I agree that there are unrealistic expectations from employers and the customers. If it is in the middle of the day they need to be more realistic and give half an hour min. I dont have to many problems with patients wanting thier medicines now, but more of a problem with co workers complaining all the time and all the negative attitude in the back. It can be stressful at times and I feel that everyone needs to just relax and stop worrying about time.
I do believe that the registers should help out at the check out when it comes to interactions. I myself am not aware of all the interactions with OTC's and prescriptions and I know that there are alot of "clerks" or cashiers that are at the pick up area. If we were able to scan their prescriptions and their items at the register and it say something about that interaction, then we will be able to fight that battle there. However that is just to much money to invest in something that no one wants to take the time to do. This is an eye opener that was well over due.

As a pharmacist of 30 years:
What you should do is an investigation of who is actually doing the prescribing in the doctors' offices. I think it will be more shocking than the story on phramacy

1. PATIENTS need to understand that pharmacy drive through windows and pharmacy counters are not fast-food equivalents.

2. Correct interpretation by the NEWS MEDIA about the flow of a prescription through a pharmacy. The pharmacist has the ultimate verification of the prescription. Many chain computer systems require that the pharmacist. not tech, verify the prescription twice before it is ready for sale.
If there are pharmacy chains out there that do not do this, then they need to upgrade their software and workflow.

3. Pharmacy TECHNICIANS do alot of work for little pay. Their pay should at least increase so that pharmacies can atrract more mature and teachable people.

Brian,

Your report states that customers are waving their legal right to counsultation when signing form picking up prescription. Technically, this is only true for medicare/medicaid patients, not the general public. You need to state the law right if you are going to advise the general public. The adoption on the forms for the language is there to cover medicare/medicaid customers when also signing for prescription pickup.

Things are busy in the pharmacy, no doubt, so signature forms have pretty much universally adopted doing both on one form rather than keeping two logs for that. If you check on this you will find that this is exactly what is going on. The errors, on the other hand, involve what is actually going on with patients whom the law is designed for, the medicare customers. Your investigators need to check on that error. Also, if people wish, in most cases the forms they sign specifically state what they are signing unless they are signing a log book. In the case of a log book they can not sign away legal rights to counsultation, so in that case they are just signing to pick up, and many stores do just that.

In your report it was clear that your video was taken of just a log book being signed while you reported on signing of forms. You need to report on what is actually happening, and not get confused about the complexities that you are not fully understanding. In this case a blinket statement like you made seems to be designed to upset people and make the issues appear worse. You really are over reporting this error.

Mike
PharmD Intern

I have worked as a pharmacy technician for 9 years and I am a valuable member of the staff at our pharmacy. The problem does not lie with the technicians filling prescriptions as the report suggests. The main problem is the large chain pharmacies pressuring speedy service. Your health care is not something to be handled swiftly.

To patients, please give your pharmacy more time to fill your prescription accurately and efficiently.

I was working the night your program aired and my daughter was only able to record the last 5 minutes of the pharmacy segment. I did read many of the on-line comments regarding your program. My comments are as follows:

Everyone is human and therefore mistakes will occur. The typical personality of a pharmacist is a very detail-oriented and conscientous person. Most pharmacy schools have all students complete a reliable personality test within the first few days of entering pharmacy school. In my class 99% of the students were definitely "J" of the ENTJ, INTJ, etc. Therefore, most pharmacists have a detail-oriented personality - more so than an extroverted friendly personality.

I personally worked in hospitals immediately after receiving my degree. But I switched to Retail Pharmacy within 4 years of graduation. I prefer Retail as far as the impact I can make as a pharmacist. However, the pace expected by patients and the corporation are often unrealistic if you want to provide good pharmacy service. I have never compromised my principals and have not been reprimanded for it.

I have been a Pharmacy Technician since 1980. I am nationally certified and work as a IV technician for a home health company. I was very upset with your report because a sixteen year old is not I repeat NOT a pharmacy technician. There is something bad wrong if a pharmacist allowed this person to type in a rx on the computer. I don't think she should
have been allowed to even count out the pills. I think it is greed on the part of the pharmcy if they do not hire enough certified pharmacy technicians. If I were a pharmacist I would have refused to work if I had to allow a untrained person to do this. Certified pharmacy technicians were never mentioned in your report. We are a large group that help the pharmacist tremendously and are more likely to help find a mistake than to make one. It has been proven that carts in hospitals filled by certified pharmacy technicians have less mistakes than those filled by pharmacists. But we are still checked by pharmacist which is a good thing. Please do a program showing the good work of nationally certified technicians.
thank you.

I have been a pharmacist for over 25 years in both retail and hospital settings. Although I work for a reputable grocery chain, I have done fill in work for RiteAid and others, and my experience has been as described in the 20/20 program. I was amazed that pharmacists were being asked to fill many more prescriptions than were safe, utilizing more technicians than are legal.

I had very little chance to consult since the technician told me that "I did not have time for that" When a customer complained that I had not instructed her on her child's asthma medication, I was told that the patient had declined counsel. How convenient. Why would this patient decline counsel, then call and ask for one? Needless to say, I did not last long in this job. In my 25 years I have seen our profession decline to the status of an overpaid clerk.

I believe that pharmacists have a lot to offer. They are oftentimes, in this age of physician's assistants and nurse practitioners, the best educated health professionals that a patient may see in a day. I hope that pharmacists someday wake up and demand more respect and better working conditions. I also hope that the public realizes that you get the health care you deserve. Take responsibility for yourself.

The real problem is that pharmacists have allowed everyone else (the retail industry, the customers, etc.) to dictate to them what the profession of "pharmacy" is. Pharmacists need to stop playing the "blame game" take back possession of their profession. Being a pharmacist is a privilege and our first and foremost responsibility and duty is to our patients and their well-being. The profession of Pharmacy is at a crossroads and pharmacists need to take a stand. I suggest every pharmacist read the book "Communication Skills for Pharmacists" by Bruce A. Berger for a start.

I am a pharmacist and I applaud
your report. The public should look to see if a pharmacist is
checking the work of the techs. There are several pharmacies - chain and independent- where this does not happen. As far a chains go, one problem is that our bosses are not pharmacist. The bosses make you take medicine back and refuse to let pharmacists put up signs that cell phones are not allowed to be used while at the
pharmacy counter. How should you counsel a patient about his medicine while he is on his cell phone?

Thank you to everyone for sharing your opinions! No matter what perspective you have, I'm glad that attention has been brought to these numerous issues.

I am a retail pharmacist and completely understand and relate to many stories mentioned above. If we all feel this way (across the country, in different pharmacy companies), surely this means that it is time for change...in fact, it is long overdue!

I think that all of us need to change to ensure that the optimal outcome is reached...Patient Care!
For example:
Pharmacists need to slow down and give each RX the attention it needs.
Managers of drugstores need to listen to their pharmacists’ requests for more help. Doctors need to write more legibly.
Patients need to take an active role in their healthcare (which includes medications).
Etc. etc.
I also think that there should be new laws made at the state and federal levels. (Sidebar: I would love to see a ban on drive-thrus!)

Ultimately, I think that we need to start changing the way retail pharmacies are run...or else all of these problems are going to continue to accumulate and spiral out of control! (If nothing changes, we will continue to have overstressed and overworked pharmacists and technicians. And along with the increased need for prescriptions, there will be an in increase in mistakes.)

There isn’t just one root to this growing problem in retail pharmacy. There are so many compounding factors...

So, PHARMACISTS, how are we going to make this change?

How can we change the perception of our profession so that the value of our service is recognized? How can we help patients to understand the importance of knowing about the medications they are taking? How can we decrease stress in the pharmacy? How can we decrease medication errors? When will we be treated like healthcare professionals (and not check out cashiers)?

I know that we can’t do it alone...Any suggestions?

I am a Certified Pharmacy Tech. and have been since 1997, I did work in the pharmacy before becoming Cert. however until 1995 there wasn't anyway for me be become certified in Ohio. The states don't want to mandate certification and education for Techinicians because the industry knows they will have to pay them more. I would also like to see you do a story on how many times a pharmacist and/or technician catch errors the doctor/nurses/physician assitants/ and an one else writing or calling in prescriptions. Most pharmacists and technicians care about their customers and NEVER want to make ANY mistakes. Customers want the prescription ready the moment they walk up to the counter. They don't always have all the info you need to fill the prescriptions(namely ins info) so we have to be investigators to find out how to bill their prescriptions. You always have someone tap on a window while you are filling someones prescriptions and "just want to ask a questions" that usually had NOTHING to do about pharmacy. I know that everyone that works at my pharmacy treats EVERY customer like they are family and we are not an independent pharmacy we work in a national retail pharmacy. Because of your story you make everyone questions even the really good pharmacist and technicians. Could you sometime do a GOOD NEWS story about any profession. They are out there I know they are. I am sure I am not the only person tired of the beatings the media does on public professions.
With the new HIPPA laws we have to be VERY careful who hears info about a patients prescriptions and as far as the coumadin and aspirin you truely don't know that the person taking the Coumadin is also planning to take the Aspirin. I have asked customers before about over the counter meds and rx meds if they are taking them and I get attitude from the customer because I am not minding my own business. Everyone thinks that if it is over the counter it is safe to take with whatever and however they want. I know that you want do anything about any of the comments that have been written here. I guess it will make us as the people that work in Pharmacy feel maybe a little better because you have seen that pharmacy isn't as cut and dry as you made it sound. I beg you to please do stories about people that are extremely happy with their pharmacy and were pharmacists and technician catch their own mistakes(because we are all human) and mistakes made by doctors and the others that write or call in prescriptions incorrectly.

As a practicing pharmacist for 8 years I cannot agree more with what I see on this board. I got out of retail and am glad I did. Insurance headaches, extremely high volume, impatient customers, drive thrus, standing all day with barely 5 minutes for lunch, the phone RINGING OFF THE HOOK, etc. etc. etc. This industry has just totally allowed itself to become McDonaldized. More More More. FASTER FASTER FASTER. OH yeah, and be perfect in everything you do. 350 prescriptions in an 8 hour shift is 43 per hour. That's less than 2 minutes per prescription. What a joke. Low insurance reimbursement has driven local independants out of business,and now it's all going to big chains (target, walgreen, wal mart, etc). They can eat the lower reimbursement rates, and make up for it with the huge volume of stuff in the front of the store. I really thought I was getting a professional degree, and would be treated as such, but by neither corporate america or customers has that come to be. When I went into this career I was hoping I would be able to have fun at the job and help people, but the reality is just SO different. Customers don't understand their insurance, expect everything in 2-5 minutes, and so many have just gotten downright rude. They have no appreciation for what we do in a day, and it's not like I'm asking for that much in return. It's very sad in a way that I regret spending 8 years in college to get this degree, and I don't even want to stay in the career and I'm only 35. It would just kill me if I screwed up someones prescription and they were somehow severely harmed because of it. I don't know why, but the boards of pharmacy are supposed to protect the public from the profession. They do all this little crap like certifying technicians, establishing ratios, and other law stuff, but they do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the working conditions regarding breaks, volume limits, pharmacist staffing, and other things that REALLY affect working conditions. I really wonder if the big chains have some sort of influence over them not doing anything that would hurt profits because they seem to regulate everything else in the industry. I know medicine has changed for doctors too, but could you imagine a surgeon being told how many procedures he had to do in a day by some corporate dick. If 5 were reasonable and he was basically forced to perform 10 a day?? That's kinda what pharmacy feels like to me.

Having had a back problem for many years I have had numerous perscriptions filled. Most of those I never took. There were three incidents of those perscritions being filled incorrectly. One of which at my local and closest drugstore. The other two were at a familiar drugstore chain. I noticed it before I took the pills. I often wondered if taking those perscritions would have affected me. I also know that on one occasion the physican himself ( different story I suppose) wrote the prescription inproperly. These were all heavy duty ant-inflamatorys and pain medicine. My take on this- QUESTION everything and everyone at any cost. I pity the elderly in these cases as much of the time they are so used to taking the same meds that they dont question it. Beyond a shadow of a doubt there should not be a anyone working behind the pharmacy countr that does not hold a degree!

My husband had a heart attack at the age of 43 on March 14, 2007. When he was released from the hospital, he was given a prescription for Coreg for 6.25mg, but it was filled by Walgreen for 25mg. This caused a dramatic drop in his blood pressure, resulting in an inability to perform normal functions. Fortunately, we had been monitoring his blood pressure at home, which prompted us to contact his Cardioligist. The prescripition that was filled was 4 times the prescribed dose. They explained that when the script was scanned into their system, it was crinckled and read inaccuratly. When it was brought to their attention, they filled the prescription properly, but gave no apology. We hope this will help everyone to be aware that mistakes could be life or death. If ABC does a follow up story on this, we would be willing to share our story.

It's funny how Ross said on Good Morning America that once you sign the log, you are "WAIVING" your right to counseling. Okay, so if this is the case, we pharmacists would have lesser duties because what we would say to someone on the phone asking for counseling (and let's just assume said "No" to counseling at the register): "Oh, I'm so sorry Ma'am, I cannot counsel you anymore because you already waived your right to counseling". I think that we should go with this so we could lessen our load and reduce phone calls to the pharmacy. Just a thought!

I posted earlier, but forgot to mention this: Why would someone expect a CASHIER to catch a potential Coumadin/Aspirin interaction? Patients should have the common sense to consult a doctor or pharmacist about taking OTC products with their medication. It is certainly not a reasonable expectation that a pharmacist would come from behind the counter, to the cash register, and inspect each customer's purchases! Ask your pharmacist. You don't need an invitation, just ASK!

I THINK 20/20 NEEDS TO RE-DO THIS STORY. MANY THINGS WERE MISLEADING
I HAVE BEEN A PHARMACIST FOR 14 YRS. NOW. THERE ARE ALOT OF THINGS THAT DISTRACT THE PHARMACIST LIKE PHONE CALLS, CUSTOMERS QUESTIONS, ETC. THESE ARE NOT EXCUSES, BUT REALITY. TRY DOING YOUR STORY FROM THE OTHER END OF THE COUNTER FOR A CHANGE. MISTAKES SHOULD NOT BE MADE AND I AM SORRY FOR THE ONES HURT. LARGE CHAINS SHOULD HIRE MORE PERSONNAL TO HANDLE THE INCREASE VOLUME OF PRESCRIPTIONS. MAYBE YOUR STORY NEEDS TO BE ABOUT THE LARGE CHAINS WORKING THE PHARMACIST AND TECHS TO THE BREAKING POINT. ALL THE LARGE CHAINS CARE ABOUT IS THE PROFIT MARGIN NOT THE CUSTOMERS OR PATIENTS OR EMPLOYEES AND THEY WILL NOT STAND BY THEIR EMPLOYEES IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG. GO FIGURE!!!!!!!

I agree with an earlier post about shocking people for ratings. Unfortunately, this type of information is what sells in this country. However, it doesn't make it RIGHT. I was thoroughly disgusted with this investigative report. I agree with the other posts about being overworked, over stressed, etc and there IS a problem. Everyone knows there is a problem and negatively slanting it for the people to see is COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE. The way the system is set up, most will fail in attempting to reach the lofty goals set forth. The system needs to be reworked, which is overdue. I am a 4th year Pharm D student, with graduation rapidly approaching; and the pharmacy curriculum teaches us about medication safety and errors. I have also been a technician for 10 years working both retail and hospital, so I understand the demands of the phone, of an insurance problem, of incorrect prescriptions, etc. Many good solutions were posted previously, and there NEEDS to be a change. When I become a pharmacist, I will do my best to start this change; as most future pharmacists should do as well. However, the solution lies with EVERYONE, so the blame game should stopped being played.

Since the pace at pharmacies is often hectic, some big retail chain pharmacies have designed ways to save pharmacists' time. As they say, "To err is human; to really foul up requires a computer."

It is funny how all you pharmacists like to blame prescription errors on phone calls, impatient customers, 10-12-15 hour shifts, loud noise, people talking...etc list goes on. Yes your job is stressful/hectic but that is no reason to make excuses; LIVES ARE AT STAKE HERE! I work at a bank and it is not nearly as hard as being a pharmacist but I've learned to multi-task. If I didn't I would end up giving errors in the form of extra cash to anyone that caused an interruption. If you can't do your job right then quit or find something else.

I've read most of the comments on here. I have to say I missed the report but read what was on the internet about it. It's true everyone makes mistakes, it's true that it's hard to work long hours, it's true that everyone should take responsibility for something. But.....it's the patient's responsibility to see that they are getting the proper meds. Start at the doctor's office and write your own prescription in plain English so you will know what you are getting. Ask questions when you pick up your prescriptions.

Just like someone said, just because you are in the medical field doesn't mean you know everything about medicines. How is this pill suppose to look? Buy a book on prescription pills or look them up on the internet. If in doubt, call your doctor's office or the pharmacy and ask questions again. Get to know your pharmacist and their staff. I used on chain drug store and knew just about everyone in there. I then switched to a different chain drug store and I know everyone there. When I call them all I have to give is my first name and they know who I am. If they get a new staff person, I make it my business to introduce myself. You should not be embarrassed to ask questions and consider it rude or an inconvience. This is yours or your family health we are talking about.

The Boards of pharmacies cannot control breaks, lunches and such. That is a personnel issue with the company that have set policy and procedures within the company. If the employees are that overworked, then they need to complain to contact EEOC regarding such things. Techs cannot get all of the blame here. EVERYONE HAS SOME TYPE OF RESPONSIBILITY in this process. Consumers don't be in a hurray to pick up meds and then get mad when you didn't take the time to ask questions! I do agree with all of the posts on one thing....pharmacies are not fast foot establishments and shouldn't be treated as such. I know someone that said, "why do you have to go to pharmacy school to become a pharmacist. All you do it take the pills from the big bottle and put it in the little one." I told that person if you believe that, then I feel sorry for you. It's much more than that and consumers should become more conscious of the profession and take a more active role in their health. Pharmacy workers should take a more active role in their work conditions, doctors should take a more active role in explaining to patients what they are being prescribed, and consumers should ASK QUESTIONS!!!!

there are a couple comments on here blaming the Pharmacist for everything, stating nothing short of "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen".

they missed the point of the Pharmacists statements entirley.

It's not a matter of placing blame on someone else.

It's a matter of calling public attention to a growing problem. The more we can create an understanding between the patient and the pharmacist the sooner these changes can take place.

Pharmacists need to understand that THEY are responsible. They must begin to take measures to ensure properly trained Techs, and be sure they get the meantal breaks the deserve.

the rest of my comment was cut off.

continued...

the patient must understand that they WILL have to wait for their prescription. NO MORE bs about how they need it right away. to ensure saftey, you will have to wait at least 15 minutes or more. Deal with it.
you also do not need an RPH to tell you where the gift wrap is. learn the difference between a Pharmacy issue and a front store issue.

I have been a pharmacist of 4 years now and have worked as a pharmacy technician for 6 years prior to that, so I have quite a bit of experience in the area. I have worked in both retail and the hospital environment. Currently, I practice as a clinical pharmacist in a large, teaching hospital.

First off, I would like to commend 20/20 for bringing this issue to light. However, this report as many stated, was inaccurate. Others have commented on the reasons as to why so, so I will not pursue that further.

For the non-pharmacy/healthcare related people, specifically the banker and some of the other posters. The way the current retail environment and some hospital environments are, it lends itself to easily making errors. To phrase it bluntly - THE SYSTEM IS SET UP FOR FAILURE AND MEDICATION ERRORS!

I think in follow-up to this report, ABC and 20/20 should challenge these retail corporations with all of the above comments from the pharmacists. It means absolutely nothing to the CEO of Rite Aid, Eckerd, Walgreens, etc... when a pharmcist makes such complaints. However, with a large media backing, I think a true change can be made. So I urge as many media corporations there are to support such a cause, and raise awareness to this growing and deadly problem.

I would also like to provide my sympathy to the family of this lost loved one. I can barely imagine how devastating knowing that a medication error resulted in someone you cared about's death, especially when it can be prevented.

Once again, I would like to thank ABC and 20/20 for this eye-opening report, and ask that pharmacists everywhere join together in preventing medication errors.

You comment that "we pharmacists blame (everything) on stress and not being able to multi-task." When a system is setup that you don't have time to do what is necessary to ensure safety, it is not your fault, but the systems'. In that same regard, it is imperative that pharmacists continually bring these system failures to the management of these large corporations. I have to commend the analogy that an earlier post had said, "it's like asking a surgeon to perform 10 operations a day, when only 5 is the norm." So once again, for non-pharmacy/healthcare personel, please carefully read this next statement. NO MATTER IF YOU ARE THE MOST ANAL RETENTIVE PERFECTIONIST, AND IS AS SMART AS EINSTEIN, YOU WILL - I'll say it again, YOU WILL (not might, possibly, probably, but WILL) MAKE ERRORS UNDER THE CURRENT SYSTEM. I will promise you, that there is not a single pharmacist who has been working over a year in any environment, that hasn't made an error. So please stop with stating that pharmacists need to stop complaining and go to a less stressful environment. If that were the case, you would have no pharmacists!

As a former employee of cvs pharmacy,it is a scary place to work.I worked in the pharmacy.
I saw a lot of bad things,employee
theft,a drunk pharmacy tech. who came in drunk daily.As a Union Steward,I was verbal abused daily
by a young 26 year old Pharmacist.I was 54 almost 55 years old when I left.
I had to leave because of this abuse.Lots of things go on in the pharmacy.The prescriptions pour in daily,the pay is very low!The company pays the Pharmacist well,and the Pharmacy help very little.The Pharmacy workers,do most of the work.The Company wants
all prescriptions filled quickly.The
workers in the Pharmacy come and go,very few stay.CVS pharmacy is
a horrible place to work.
If customer goes to any Pharmacy
to get a precription filled,after it is filled,tell the clerk you want to speak to the Pharmacist.
Ask to see the Prescription,the
drug bottle,to make sure a mistake
was not made.
I thank God everyday,I freed myself,from CVS pharmacy,but I still have nightmares from the abuse I suffered at there hands.
Customers need to pay more attention to who the Pharmacy
workers,and who the Pharmacist
is.If you are not happy with the
company,go to another drug store.

I'm sure there are plenty of "good" pharm tech's BUT,when i had not one, but x 4!!! attempts to show that they had the wrong script, for the wrong twin, the wrong driver's Lic, and wrong pt number @ Walgreens. The pharmacist , then handed me my kids name on a bottle of medicine I take!! He said , "I just fill what is put in front of me" so if the "Tech" is wrong, you get a deadly mix of ignorance and apathy.

aspirin investigation is invalid...pharmacists don't check out your groceries

This is why I use the mail pharmacy, I have never had an error and they seem to take the time to check my prescription for interactions each time. If I have a problem or concern, I call them up and they answer right away. Plus it saves a lot of money for my company. Maybe it is time everyone simply stop using "drugstore" and use the mail order pharmacies!

People you compain about your Employers!!!! Be minimally Ethical and talk about what CVS gave you instead. An insurance plan for you and your kids a job to keep food on your table!!! Dont generalize every pharmacy it all depends on people that you work with. If you are generalizing then you are being bias. Just because you had a bad time in your pharmacy doesnt mean that every pharmacist is dumb and unethical. You guys have no clue what we have to go through. And when you say that they pay Pharmacist well and techs nothing well do you have a loan $150,000 that grows every year? Do you? did you spent 6 years of your life living on someone else's budget or with a mom and dad that support you just for you to finish school? if for all these questions your answer is NO then you know what let me be rude. GEt A LIFE!!

I have caught many mistakes that have been made on Rx's because I always read the label carefully and notice the name of the drug and the dosage. I also look to see if the pills look correct. Sometimes the pills will look different just because it is a generic from another supplier but I always check. I think there needs to be a law passed that requires doctor's to have all perscriptions done by computer print out. That would help both the patient and pharmacist. Please ask your doctor to have the Rx printed and notify legislators to pass a law requiring this!

I understand that the pharmacist are over worked and that's not right but they do have our lives in their hands. They should have at least a one hour lunch break and two 15 minute breaks if they are working a 10 to 12 hour day.
Due to many 3 hour or longer waits for perscriptions, I changed to another pharmacy. I regret changing because of many mistakes. Fortunately I have caught the mistakes before I took the pills. I had to take the pills back to the pharmacy to get it correted. What if I had been an elderly person or just someone who trusted that it was correct, took the pills and had a bad reaction or died? At one point I called in about a mistake. I asked to speak to the pharmacist but the person on the phone who was not the pharmicist informed me it was correct. I knew it was not and I insisted on speaking to the pharmacist. I returned the Rx and was given the correct Rx.
Two times I was given 2 very, very strong pain medicines. One of those, I know I am not able to take. If I wasn't the kind of person who makes sure the Rx's are right, I might have gotten very sick or not be here.
The place where I go, has commercials showing where they go to peoples' homes at times when needed. The times when there was a mistake made and I called in, there was never an offer made to bring the correct Rx to me. Two times I had to wait until the next day to pick up my Rx's because they were closing. I have never been asked at this place if I had any questions for the pharmacist. I am always asked to sign the so called book saying I recieved my Rx.
What worries me is how many people filling Rx's at this place trusted the pharmacy and took the medicine. Now they could be suffering or dead because of it.

CVS--IS A NASTY PLACE TO WORK, AT THE SALES FLOOR LEVEL TOO! I WORKED FOR OSCO DRUG FOR 23 YEARS, AND NEVER RECEIVED THE ABUSE FROM DISTRICT AND UPPER MGT.--AS CVS GIVESUS DAILY!

It is unfortunate that ABC's 20/20 presented the chain pharmacies from the customer point of view. There ARE numerous "multi-tasked" functions going on behind the counter.

Pharmacists and technicians are pressured to fill prescriptions accurately (and quickly)! In addition, they are dealing with calls to the patients doctors office (maybe to verify dosing, or request a refill). They are also calling third party insurance companies to make sure they are eligible, or if that expensive drug is covered (and may require prior authorization).

The general public has to remember that the pharmacy is working hard for the patient. Its funny - that the same patient can WAIT for long hours at the doctors office for their appointment, but once they step into the pharmacy, they want that medication filled in less than 15 minutes.

All this, along with incoming phone calls, voice mails from physicians and patients, and the drive through pharmacy, AND less help - make it difficult. It doesn't help that pharmacies are receiving less reimbursment from insurance companies for services.

I wish 20/20 would report on the difficult tasks that pharmacies have to encounter!

" Two times I had to wait until the next day to pick up my Rx's because they were closing."

then why did you come in just before they were closing?? You have all day.

I've seen many prescriptions written by many doctors in my time. It is often difficult to read the signature, muchless the prescription. Why can't the prescription be typed instead of hand written or both on the same prescription pad? It would seem like this would help the patient verify that the right prescription had been filled. Most patients are not familar with the shorthand used and the sloppy signatures are unexcuseable

I for one am a pharmacy technician, as being in the profession,I can honestly say that we do not have enough help, I type rx's,fill, answer phones,cashier,and other customer service duties, filling approx. 60-80 prescriptions, in a 4 hour window, with just myself and 1 pharmacists,, only because RITE-AID says it can be done, with minimal help. All Rite-aid is concerned with is making HUGE PROFIT, at the expense of the customer and employee

Wow! The comments are an eye opener! I didn't know that pharmacists were under that kind of pressure. Don't pharmacists have some kind of union? Probably a one hour strike would bring this country to it's knees. :-) I should've had a clue when I saw the Walmart pharmacy and they had hundreds of filled prescriptions on a racks three deep. (I usually go to a local rural pharmacy - both gave me the wrong drug). But it still points to the essence - the system is broken and very dangerous (and not just the pharmacy). It won't be fixed until someone yells about it.