Thank you very much, Nicole, for bringing the fact that some employers may give a pre-emplyment test in pharmacology calculations. I am sure many newbies seeking a job in this discipline are completely unaware. It's good to be prepared.

We want to remind all practicing medical assistants that medication errors refer to errors in the processes of ordering, transcribing, dispensing, administering, or monitoring medications, irrespective of the outcome (i.e., injury to the patient).

One example is an order written for amoxicillin without a route of administration. Other medication errors have a greater potential for patient harm and so are often designated as "serious medication errors" or "potential ADEs"—e.g., an order for amoxicillin in a patient with past anaphylaxis to penicillin.

I have set up a website for medical assistants needing to review medications, prescriptions, Roman numerals, abbreviations and calculations that typically take place in a medical office:

MA Pharm.com -- Pharmacology Review for Medical Assistants
http://www.mapharm.com/safety_guides.htm

We also want to remind medical assistants who call in prescription orders to a pharmacy, or approve prescription refills for a patient to do this ONLY upon approval from the doctor. Only call in orders that are logged in the patient's medical chart. Any prescriptions or refill orders completed and called in to the pharmacy should then also be annotated, dated and initialed by the medical assistant who made the call (you!).

Your Professional Title/Credentials: Website Owner/Forum Admin