Prescription Errors

Prescription medication errors are common, but they are preventable and should never happen. They can happen anywhere: at the doctor’s office, at the pharmacy, in a hospital, or in a nursing homes and other treatment facility.

Examples of errors include:

• Prescribing the wrong medication or the wrong strength
• Dispensing the wrong medication
• Dispensing the wrong dosage
• Labeling errors (wrong drug on label, wrong instructions)
• Failing to note adverse drug interactions of multiple drugs prescribed
• Improperly administering the drug
• Prescribing a drug that the patient will have an adverse reaction to