Latebreakers: Pharmacy world astir over TV exposé on drug errors

The pharmacy world is abuzz over the broadcast of a "20/20" report on pharmacy medication errors. The report revealed that an error made by a Walgreens technician allegedly resulted in a patient's suffering a stroke. Another Walgreens error occurred when a baby was allegedly given an adult diabetes drug instead of phenobarbital, which resulted in brain injury. APhA said one good thing that came out of the bad publicity is that more patients are now asking for counseling about their medications, instead of signing their name and waiving their right to it. ASHP, which accredits technician training programs, urged all pharmacy sectors, including chains, to meet rigorous credentialing standards. For its part, Walgreens claimed the "20/20" program was driven by a plaintiff's lawyer, who wants the chain to settle. Ironically, Walgreens is one of the few chains that have sought accreditation from ASHP for its tech training program.