A workplace and well-being report has unveiled a new problem in pharmacies: outdated software and broken computer systems.
The issues have led to near-miss errors, according to Brigid Groves, PharmD, vice president of professional affairs for the American Pharmacists Association.
APhA and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations coordinate the Pharmacy Workplace and Well-being Reporting series, an anonymous reporting system for positive and negative experiences. In the ninth installment, a new trend emerged in the first quarter of 2024.
Pharmacy workers across the country said their workplace's technology is old and unsafe because of constant glitches, disappearing records and data, and malfunctioning final check systems. For some pharmacies, technology components are broken and are without a replacement, and technology systems that are not regularly updated have led to errors.
"This learning is a call for a systematic review of all pharmacy prescription processing software and hardware to address and resolve needed updates and replacements," Dr. Groves said in a June 11 news release.
The latest PWWR installment recommends pharmacy leaders conduct a systematic review of all technology. The negative experiences in pharmacies can cause physical and emotional fatigue, feelings of hopelessness, and isolation, according to the report. Learn more here.