LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A series of errors by technicians and pharmacists at a CVS store in North Las Vegas led to Timika Thomas’ IVF treatment being halted. Many people have asked the same question, including Thomas himself. How can this happen?
Thomas went to the Board of Pharmacy for answers. The committee sanctioned the two pharmacists involved, one for failing to consult patients before taking prescriptions home and the other for overlooking mistakes made by other CVS technicians.
These pharmacists took responsibility for this catastrophic failure, and they laid some of the blame on their employer, CVS.
One of the pharmacists involved said the company asked clinicians to make important decisions without giving them the time they needed to make the right decision. She told the board that CVS pressured the company to meet certain “metrics” and cut staff while increasing workloads. She said she was overwhelmed.
“It really wasn’t a safe place to work. Even when I raised concerns, nothing really changed,” she said of her employer, CVS.
The drugstore giant had revenue of $322 billion in 2022, according to the company’s annual report. But pharmacists in Kansas City recently quit their jobs after receiving similar complaints, citing risks to patients from increased workloads and attrition.
“One pharmacist can’t be expected to do all of these things, pick up and drop off, pick up, check prescriptions, call providers, call patients, and administer vaccinations,” the pharmacist said.
Not only am I feeling overwhelmed, but my workload is also taking a toll.according to Research from the Journal of the American Pharmacists AssociationThe suicide rate among pharmacists is higher than the general population, at 20 per 100,000, compared to 12 per 100,000 in the general population.
“Our profession rightly demands actions that prioritize the safety of both pharmacy professionals and the patients who rely on their care,” the Nevada Pharmacy Alliance said in a statement.
The pharmacists involved in the Timika Thomas drug mix-up were fined and their licenses suspended. The Board of Pharmacy fined CVS $10,000, the maximum amount allowed by law. CVS can still appeal the board’s decision.
The drugstore giant released a statement saying: “We apologize to our patients for the prescription incident that occurred in 2019 and have been cooperating with the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy in this matter. The health and well-being of our patients is our top priority and we are committed to prescription safety. We have comprehensive policies and procedures in place to support patient safety. Prescribing errors are extremely rare, but when they do occur, we continually improve quality and patient safety. We will take steps to learn from it.”
“This is human error,” one pharmacist said through tears. “This was simply a human error, and we are very sorry.”
Sorry, Thomas said.
“I put my life in the hands of CVS, and CVS gave me something that could have taken my life,” Thomas said. “But that wasn’t the case. The baby’s life was taken.”
