Why did an Ohio pharmacy technician spend several years in jail? Contrary to popular belief, pharmacy software (including pharmacy point of sale or pharmacy POS systems) and employee registration is absolutely critical. Insufficient training and/or outdated software can endanger patients’ lives, and — in the case of one little girl — they did.
Who Is Emily Jerry, and What Happened To Her?
“Emily was diagnosed with a yolk sac tumor when she was about a year-and-a-half old. The tumor was the size of a grapefruit inside her tiny little abdomen,” Chris Jerry writes on The Emily Jerry Foundation, an organization and website created in the late toddler’s honor. Despite grim odds, Emily responded miraculously well to chemotherapy. In fact — within six months — her tumor had all but disappeared. Emily, however, passed away shortly after her final treatment. How did things take such a sudden turn?
A pharmacy technician prepared Emily’s final chemotherapy bag. A failing electronic hospital system may or may not have affected the pharmacy’s inventory and wares. For whatever reason, the pharmacy tech prepared a chemotherapy bag with 23.4% sodium chloride solution. It should have contained less than 1%. The man ultimately served several years in jail for his part in Emily’s death.
Changes In Pharmacy Policies May Save Lives
“My beautiful Emily’s death was senseless and preventable,” Jerry adds. To this day, Jerry continues visiting pharmacies, hospitals, and relevant conventions all over the U.S. — encouraging them to invest in reliable pharmacy POS software that will accurately track wares and monitor medications and solutions. Jerry also asks pharmacies to take a careful look at their staff training and registration policies for pharmacy technicians. (At the time of Emily’s death, Ohio did not require any kind of registration for pharmacy technicians.)
Emily’s death was easily preventable. Jerry urges pharmacies to take an open and honest look at their software and staff training and make adjustments that may save lives. For more information, read this website.