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Medication error reporting by community pharmacists in Vermont
Amanda G Kennedy1, Benjamin Littenberg
1Division of General Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, 371 Pearl Street, Burlington, VT 05401, USA. amanda.kennedy@vtmednet.org
Journal of the American Pharmacists Association : Japha
|September 18, 2004
Summary
Most Vermont community pharmacists know about the United States Pharmacopeia Medication Errors Reporting (USP MER) program, but few use it. Barriers to reporting may vary by pharmacy type, warranting further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacy Practice
- Medication Safety
- Health Outcomes Research
Background:
- Community pharmacists play a crucial role in medication safety.
- The United States Pharmacopeia Medication Errors Reporting (USP MER) program is a key system for collecting medication error data.
- Understanding pharmacist engagement with reporting programs is vital for improving medication safety initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess community pharmacists' awareness of the USP MER program.
- To determine the extent of community pharmacists' utilization of the USP MER program.
- To identify potential barriers influencing reporting to the USP MER program.
Main Methods:
- A telephone survey was conducted among community pharmacies in Vermont.
- One pharmacist from each participating pharmacy completed the survey.
- Data collected focused on awareness and use of the USP MER program.
Main Results:
- 62% of surveyed pharmacists were aware of the USP MER program.
- Only 21% of pharmacists had ever submitted a report to USP MER.
- Pharmacists in independent pharmacies were more likely to submit reports than those in chain or mass merchandiser pharmacies.
Conclusions:
- While awareness of the USP MER program is substantial among Vermont community pharmacists, actual usage is low.
- Barriers to reporting medication errors to a centralized system like USP MER may differ based on pharmacy ownership and structure.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the obstacles preventing pharmacists from submitting reports to the USP MER program.