Error reporting tool helping Pharmacy Technician students identify ways to improve

Publicly acknowledging missteps doesn't come easily to most of us, especially if you're a student striving for the best grades possible.

But, as learners in Sheridan's Pharmacy Technician program are discovering, it's okay to make a mistake on a class assignment — as long as you learn from it.

This fall, professor Carol Borscevski introduced an internal medication error reporting tool that mirrors self-reporting systems used in industry. Second-year students begin their weekly lab classes by anonymously logging into a cloud-based reporting form to list any errors they made on the previous week’s assignment, assess the potential harm those errors could have caused, and reflect on what may have caused the mistakes. Borscevski then shares that feedback with the class during a group discussion addressing the most common errors and how to avoid them in the future.

“This program is not just about marks, it’s about ensuring that our future patients will be safe,” Borscevski says. “We’re instilling a just culture that balances safety with accountability, where students feel safe to report mistakes, ask questions and seek help without fear of consequence or judgment. Openly sharing and discussing errors can help them identify solutions that will improve their practice, which hopefully spills out into their performance during their placements and in their licensing exams.”

“We're instilling a just culture that balances safety with accountability, where students feel safe to report mistakes, ask questions and seek help without fear of consequence or judgment.”

– Pharmacy Technician professor Carol Borscevski

The first week the tool was used, 75 per cent of the class self-reported at least one error — most of them in documentation, largely due to rushing. Less than two months later, the percentage of respondents who reported errors had been nearly cut in half.

"I was a bit nervous at the start of the semester because I didn't want to lose marks," says student Deevanshu Mittal, who reported errors on his first three assignments before going error-free on his next four. "I've since realized that my biggest focus should be on making a product safely and accurately."

"It's been really helpful going through our results together because it lets us know if we're making mistakes in a certain area like documentation or labeling," classmate Amandeep Kaur adds. "By going back through our errors step-by-step, it's easier for us to not make a mistake on the next assignment."

The Ontario College of Pharmacists has mandated that community pharmacies report all medication errors and near-misses to an independent third party since 2017, one year after eight-year-old Andrew Sheldrick died after being given the wrong medication due to a compounding error.

"The moment I heard about what happened to Andrew, I realized that whenever I'm doing anything, I need to be doing it correctly, even if that means triple-checking," says student Richard Pham. "Marks in class are temporary, but if you make a medication error working in industry and something bad happens, it will be on your conscience forever."

Pictured in photo are (left to right) Pharmacy Technician students Richard Pham, Deevanshu Mittal and Amandeep Kaur.

Learn how Sheridan’s Pharmacy Technician program provides the specialized knowledge and training needed to deliver pharmacy services in community and hospital settings.