Implementing medication dispensing machines may decrease errors

On Behalf of | Apr 26, 2019 | Medication Errors

Medication errors are far too common, partly because pharmacies depend on humans to get the job done without much oversight. While they aren’t an industry standard yet, there is a forecast that shows that dispensing machines for medications are well on their way to becoming more commonplace. These machines can be automated or manual, depending on what type of system is the best for the specific application.

Something that has to be considered in these cases is what type of checks and balances there are in the facility. Having multiple people handling a single prescription can increase the risk of an error being made; however, it can also provide some accountability for the individuals who are handling it.

One thing that some people worry about with these machines is that the patient won’t get what they need. Many of them come with timers to ensure that there is proper spacing between doses, so unless there are reasons to dispense the drugs early, there isn’t a concern. Even if the patient does need a dose faster, there are usually overrides that can be done to make that happen.

Opponents of instituting these dispensing machines throughout the industry are concerned with the implementation cost of the systems. Around 54% of the global market is located in the United States, which shows that many here already know the safety benefits of these machines.

Until there are better accountability standards in the health care industry, there is a chance that medication errors will occur. The victims of these might choose to file a legal claim that seeks to cover the costs of the error and the impacts it is having on your life.

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