Question

a morphine (ms-contin) sustained release (sr) tablet was dispensed from a community pharmacy despite the prescription being entered electronically as morphine immediate release (ir). which of the following solutions would have helped prevent this error?
verify with the patient who is taking morphine if they are taking ir or sr tablets.
double-count morphine tablets prior to final verification.
utilize barcode scanning on final product checks.
have the pharmacy technician who enters the prescription double-check the prescription with the pharmacist.

Explanation:

• Verifying with the patient is unreliable as patients may not know the difference between IR and SR.
• Double - counting tablets checks quantity, not the type of release form.
• Barcode scanning can identify the specific product (IR vs SR) during final checks, ensuring the dispensed product matches the prescription.
• Double - checking the prescription entry doesn't address the final product dispensed (the error was in dispensing the wrong form, not the entry itself).

Answer:

C. Utilize barcode scanning on final product checks.