Is retail pharmacy software important? The short answer is yes — very. In rare cases, reliable pharmacy software and thorough training of pharmacy staff members can even mean the difference between life and death. For one little girl in an Ohio hospital, it did. Who is Emily Jerry, what is her story, and how can pharmacies prevent future tragedies from happening?
What Happened to Emily Jerry?
When Emily was one and a half years old, doctors diagnosed her with a tumor. According to her father, Chris Jerry, “The tumor was the size of a grapefruit inside her tiny little abdomen.” Doctors warned Emily’s family not to be too hopeful. Against all odds, Emily responded incredibly well to chemotherapy, and — just six months later — her cancer was gone. The hospital called for one more round of chemotherapy to cover all bases and make sure the tumor was truly out of Emily’s system. This chemotherapy treatment, meant as a precaution, killed Emily.
How did it happen? Emily’s death can be chalked up to two causes. First, a failing pharmacy point of sale system may have affected pharmacy stock. Secondly, likely owing to stock shortages, a pharmacy technician prepared Emily’s chemotherapy bag by hand. The bag contained 23.4% sodium chloride solution when less than 1% was necessary. The overdose killed Emily.
Reliable Pharmacy POS Software and Pharmacy Tech Registration Can Save Lives
Reevaluating some retail pharmacy software and practices can save lives. Emily’s father, Chris Jerry, continues to tour the U.S. years later, urging pharmacies to reconsider loose regulations that can, in some circumstances, lead to patient deaths. Jerry encourages all pharmacies to carefully and thoroughly train and register all employees, including pharmacy technicians. Up to date software keeps medications and drugs at the correct dosages.
The right pharmacy software — and detailed training and registration for pharmacy technicians — can save lives. For more about this, go here: www.rm-solutions.com
