Pharmacists are able to prevent various medical errors, which have a negative impact not only on the patient's health, but also mean considerable financial costs for patients and the entire health system (such an error can result in unnecessary subsequent hospitalization or costly treatment by a specialist).

The most common ways to detect drug errors include:

1. prescription evaluation and targeted patient-directed inquiry
2. the patient's own question about a possible drug error (often also consultations regarding self-medication)
3. insight into the patient's drug record by a pharmacist
4. nonverbal communication of the patient in front of the tare

Some drug errors are revealed by the pharmacist through a more thorough conversation with the patient. Thanks to such an interview, he can find out, among other things, that the drug is not effective enough or, conversely, harmful.

The most common drug errors include:

1. incorrectly prescribed dosage form (exchange of tablets for injections)
2. an error in the dosage of the drug caused by the doctor or the patient himself
3. drug duplication (same drug in two products)
4. eRecipe for another patient

The pharmacist is an integral part of the healthcare system and greatly increases the safety of treatment for patients.

Taken from ČLnK, 14. 5. 2021, PharmDr. Veronika Poloniova, PharmDr. Bohdana Švehlová