Every day in America, more than 3,500 people are injured or killed because of medication and pharmacy errors, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That adds up to more than one million people harmed each year.
As the drug industry thrives and new pharmacies open in virtually every big box store, these preventable errors have become a tragic fact of life in the healthcare industry. In one recent study, researchers analyzed nearly 10,000 prescriptions filled at a large pharmacy in New Jersey. They found mistakes were made in 1 out of every 8 prescriptions, ranging from bottles containing the wrong drugs to labeling errors.
It’s a problem that continues to grow, as more Americans than ever are taking prescription medications. The elderly, who are more likely to take multiple drugs, are at particularly high risk.