In order to reduce the risk of errors, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) recommends that medications with similar-looking names and packaging should be:

While automated dispensing machines can reduce human error by standardizing dispensing processes, they do not address the visual similarity of medications. Simply relying on automation does not guarantee that pharmacists can adequately differentiate between similar-looking medications, especially if they are not physically separated within the machine.

Removing medications from the pharmacy formulary may not be practical or feasible, as it could limit patient access to necessary treatments. Moreover, this approach does not solve the issue of confusion at the point of dispensing. Medications may still need to be in stock for patient care, necessitating effective visual differentiation instead.

Assigning the task of filling to a pharmacist instead of a pharmacy technician may provide an additional layer of oversight, but it does not prevent the initial confusion when selecting medications. Errors can occur at any stage, and ensuring physical separation on shelves is a more effective strategy to prevent mix-ups before they happen.