There are also times when new pharmacy software is introduced during a rotation. It has so many glitches and it's hard to figure out how to use it properly. This slows down the whole process of filling prescriptions and causes a lot of stress for everyone involved.
Well, I had a rotation where the pharmacist I was working with was extremely unorganized. The inventory was a mess. There were expired drugs mixed in with the new ones. We almost dispensed an expired medicine to a patient. It was a close call and really scary thinking about what could have happened.
One common theme is equipment failure. For example, a surgical tool might break during a crucial part of the operation.
The most common one is probably mislabeling prescriptions. It's so easy to accidentally write the wrong name or dosage on the label. Another is the wrong drug being dispensed. I know of a case where a tech grabbed the wrong bottle because they were in a hurry. And then there's the issue of running out of a crucial medication and not being able to fill prescriptions on time, which leads to angry customers.
A common one is bad customer service. For example, some staff members at CVS Pharmacy are not very friendly or helpful when customers have questions about their prescriptions or over - the - counter products.
One common clinical rotation horror story is getting a really mean preceptor. I had a friend who had a preceptor that constantly criticized every little thing she did, from how she held a syringe to how she talked to patients. It made her so nervous that she started doubting her skills. Another is being assigned to a very chaotic and under - staffed unit. There was a student who was on a rotation in an emergency department during a flu outbreak. It was so hectic, and they didn't have proper guidance, so they felt like they were just in the way most of the time.
I've heard of a pharmacy that had a major inventory mix - up. They ran out of a common antibiotic but didn't inform the patients waiting for it. Instead, they just gave out some other random drugs thinking they were the same. This not only didn't cure the patients' infections but also made some of them develop side - effects from the wrong drugs. It was a complete mess and put the patients' health at great risk.
One common issue is long wait times. People often have to wait for hours to pick up their prescriptions. Another problem can be incorrect medications being dispensed. Some customers have reported getting the wrong pills or the wrong dosage, which can be extremely dangerous.
One horror story could be a pharmacy technician accidentally mislabeling medications. For example, mixing up the labels of a high - dose and a low - dose blood pressure medicine. This led to a patient taking the wrong dose and having a dangerous drop in blood pressure. It was a nightmare to sort out and endangered the patient's health.
One horror story was when a pharmacy tech accidentally misread a prescription. Instead of giving the right dosage of a heart medication, they almost gave a much higher dose. Luckily, another tech double - checked at the last minute. It was really scary as it could have had serious consequences for the patient.
One horror story is when a new intern fainted during a major surgery rotation. The sight of blood and the intense pressure got to him. He just dropped right there in the operating room, causing chaos for a moment.