Abstract
This article presents medication error reduction as a public health issue relevant to the pharmacy technician. The chief types of errors are presented, and opportunities for technicians to identify errors and factors that promote errors are described. The article then discusses the importance of medication error reporting by technicians. Emphasis is placed on the necessity of examining the reason why errors occur rather than assigning blame. The US Pharmacopeia Practitioners' Reporting Network is described in detail, along with the newer National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention.
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