Prescription Peril

TITLE: PRESCRIPTION PERIL 8-00-13 (Three Part Version)

ANCHOR LEAD

YOU GO TO THE HOSPITAL AND RECEIVE MEDICATION…OR YOU GO TO THE PHARMACY AND FILL A PRESCRIPTION. YOU EXPECT THAT THE MEDICATION YOU RECEIVE WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. BUT SOMETIMES MISTAKES ARE MADE. AS__________ REPORTS, BEING INFORMED ABOUT MEDICATION COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE.

#1 Length :53

NATS :06
"I'm also needing to clarify how many vials of heparin we need to give her…"

WRAP ONE Length :06
EVERYDAY THOUSANDS OF PHARMACISTS HAVE TO CALL DOCTOR'S OFFICES. PHARMACIST CYNDEE MELVIN EXPLAINS.

ACT : Cyndee Melvin, Pharmacist Length :09
"There are times when the writing can be a bit hard to read, or there may be a question about the strength, or the quantity that the doctor prescribes."

WRAP TWO Length :17
STATISTICS SHOW THAT MORE THAN 9,000 AMERICANS DIE EACH YEAR AFTER BEING GIVEN THE WRONG TYPE OR DOSAGE OF MEDICATION. AND MORE THAN 100,000 HOSPITAL PATIENTS DIE FROM ADVERSE REACTIONS TO DRUGS. LINDA GOLODNER, PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL CONSUMER'S LEAGUE IS CONCERNED.

ACT :Linda Golodner,President of the National Consumer's League Length :08
"There has been a rise in the problem of people dying, or being harmed by medications, medication errors and mistakes."

WRAP THREE Length :05
WHEN WE COME BACK… HOW HOSPITALS ARE WORKING TO PREVENT MEDICATION MISTAKES.

#2 Length :52

WRAP FOUR Length :08
THE BLAME FOR MEDICATION ERRORS HAS TO BE SHARED BY DOCTORS, NURSES, PHARMACISTS AND PATIENTS, ACCORDING TO E-R HEAD DR. ELLIS WEEKER.

ACT : Dr. Ellis Weeker, Emergency Department Chairman Length :04
"Half the people who listen to instructions…from the doctor do not get it."

WRAP FIVE Length :04
DR. WEEKER'S HOSPITAL USES COMPUTERS TO HELP PREVENT MISTAKES.

ACT :Dr. Ellis Weeker, Emergency Department Chairman Length :07
"We have a system where the physician actually sits down and types up a set of instructions - makes it very unique and special for the patient."

WRAP SIX Length :11
AT ONE UTAH HOSPITAL, A COMPUTER NEAR EACH PATIENT BED MONITORS PRESCRIPTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS TO MEDICATIONS. RESEARCHER DAVID PHILLIPS RECOMMENDS THAT PATIENTS SPEAK UP.

ACT :David Phillips,Sociologist, University of CA at San Diego Length :12
"I think it would be valuable for a patient to say to the nurse or the anesthesiologist, or the physician, or the pharmacist, would you mind checking to make sure no errors have been made."

WRAP SEVEN Length :04
COMING UP…OTHER STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO AVOID PRESCRIPTION PERIL
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#3 Length :40

WRAP EIGHT Length :08
SO HOW DO YOU AVOID BEING THE VICTIM OF A MEDICATION MISTAKE? THE FIRST TIP COMES FROM THE NATIONAL CONSUMER LEAGUE'S LINDA GOLODNER.

ACT :Linda Golodner,President of the National Consumer's League Length :08
"When a doctor hands you a prescription, you hand it right back if that prescription is not written the way that you understand it."

WRAP NINE Length :19
BE SURE TO TELL YOUR DOCTORS AND PHARMACIST ABOUT EVERY MEDICATION YOU TAKE, INCLUDING VITAMINS, NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS AND HERBAL PRODUCTS. AND MAKE SURE THE DRUG NAME AND DOSAGE YOU GET MATCHES WHAT YOUR DOCTOR PRESCRIBED. AS DR. PHILLIPS NOTES, IN AN ERA OF MEDICAL COST-CUTTING, PATIENTS NEED TO BE CAREFUL.

ACT :David Phillips,Sociologist, University of CA at San Diego Length :07
"Money has been saved, but lives have been lost, and it may be time to re-balance that equation."

WRAP TEN Length :
Local Talent Wrap

LOCAL ANCHOR LOCKOUT

THE PHARMACISTS WE TALKED TO ALSO RECOMMENDED STICKING WITH ONE DRUG STORE, WHICH WOULD HAVE YOUR COMPLETE MEDICAL HISTORY. THEY SUGGEST MAKING YOUR PHARMACIST YOUR PARTNER IN PREVENTING MEDICATION ERRORS.

TITLE: PRESCRIPTION PERIL 8-00-13A (Single Part Version)

ANCHOR LEAD

NATS :06
"I'm also needing to clarify how many vials of heparin we need to give her…"

WRAP ONE Length :07
EVERYDAY THOUSANDS OF PHARMACISTS HAVE TO CALL DOCTOR'S OFFICES. PHARMACIST CYNDEE MELVIN EXPLAINS.

ACT :Cyndee Melvin, Pharmacist Length :09
"There are times when the writing can be a bit hard to read, or there may be a question about the strength, or the quantity that the doctor prescribes."

WRAP TWO Length :16
STATISTICS SHOW THAT MORE THAN 9,000 AMERICANS DIE EACH YEAR AFTER BEING GIVEN THE WRONG TYPE OR DOSAGE OF MEDICATION. AND MORE THAN 100,000 HOSPITAL PATIENTS DIE FROM ADVERSE REACTIONS TO DRUGS. LINDA GOLODNER, PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL CONSUMER'S LEAGUE IS CONCERNED.

ACT :Linda Golodner,President of the National Consumer's League Length :08
"There has been a rise in the problem of people dying, or being harmed by medications, medication errors and mistakes."

WRAP THREE Length :04
THE BLAME FOR MEDICATION ERRORS HAS TO BE SHARED BY DOCTORS, NURSES, PHARMACISTS AND PATIENTS, ACCORDING TO E-R HEAD DR. ELLIS WEEKER.

ACT :Dr. Ellis Weeker, Emergency Department Chairman Length :12
"Half the people who listen to instructions…from the doctor do not get it."

WRAP FOUR Length :05
DR. WEEKER'S HOSPITAL USES COMPUTERS TO HELP PREVENT MISTAKES.

WRAP FIVE Length :16
SOCIOLOGIST DAVID PHILLIPS HAS ADVICE FOR AVOIDING BEING THE VICTIM OF A MEDICATION MISTAKE.

ACT :David Phillips,Sociologist, University of CA at San Diego Length :07
"I think it would be valuable for a patient to say to the nurse or the anesthesiologist, or the physician, or the pharmacist, would you mind checking to make sure no errors have been made."

WRAP SIX Length :16
TO AVOID MEDICATION ERRORS, BE SURE TO TELL YOUR DOCTORS AND PHARMACIST ABOUT EVERY MEDICATION YOU TAKE, INCLUDING VITAMINS, NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS AND HERBAL PRODUCTS. AND MAKE SURE THE DRUG NAME AND DOSAGE YOU GET MATCHES WHAT YOUR DOCTOR PRESCRIBED. DR. PHILLIPS SAYS THAT MEDICAL COST-CUTTING IS PARTIALLY TO BLAME.

ACT :David Phillips,Sociologist, University of CA at San Diego Length :07
"Money has been saved, but lives have been lost, and it may be time to re-balance that equation.

WRAP SEVEN Length :
Local Talent Wrap

LOCAL ANCHOR LOCKOUT

THE PHARMACISTS WE TALKED TO ALSO RECOMMENDED STICKING WITH ONE DRUG STORE, WHICH WOULD HAVE YOUR COMPLETE MEDICAL HISTORY. THEY SUGGEST MAKING YOUR PHARAMCIST YOUR PARTNER IN PREVENTING MEDICATION ERRORS.

Contacts:

Dr. David Phillips
Sociologist/Researcher
University of California at San Diego
858-534-0482

Dr. David Phillips has been a Professor of Sociology at the Univ. of CA at San Diego since 1974. He has published numerous articles in the New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet.

Linda Golodner
President
National Consumer's League
Washington, DC
Contact: Holly Anderson
202-835-3323 ext. 114

Linda Golodner is president of the National Consumers League in Washington, DC. She is also on the board of the National Council on Patient Information and Education. Linda has received the American Pharmaceutical Association "Hugo Schafer Award" for her outstanding contributions to pharmacy and education.

Cynthia Melvin
Pharmacist
Lieter's Pharmacy
San Jose, CA
408-292-6722

**While we are providing the name of the pharmacy as source information, please do not include it in your script. The pharmacy is concerned about patient/ doctor confidentiality, and agreed to do the interview upon the condition that we not identify the store or its location.

Dr. Ellis Weeker
Chairman
Emergency Department Good Samaritan Hospital
San Jose, CA
408-229-6530

Dr. Ellis Weeker is a board certified emergency physician and a fellow of the American College of Emergency Medicine.

Localization Tips:

Call your local pharmacy and ask about medication mistakes or drug interactions and how they were avoided or addressed
Call your local hospital and ask if they have purchased a special computer system in an effort to cut down on the number of serious medication errors.
Find out what safeguards your local hospital does have in place to prevent mistakes.
Find a local victim of a medication mix-up.