Do you think we should guess at drug names? - Concerned

Am I overly concerned or do you think I may have a point? 

I think the Word Help Board is invaluable and have always helped whenever I 100% knew the correct spelling.  But as I have been reading the questions, there seem to be more and more drug questions from drug lists, which means no point of reference.  There are also a few “allergic to: sounds like” questions. 

When I first started working as a Medical Transcriptionist, QA was always:  “Leave a blank, DO NOT type in what you think it sounds like.”  That makes sense because, more often than not, once you get a word in your head, that is what you hear when you go back to listen. Sometimes you even force yourself to believe that is what you hear.  I was also told to NEVER, EVER guess on an Allergy.  So, I do not understand why people would waste the time to ask the question on the Word Help Board in the first place.  Is this not being taught anymore? 

Offering “possibly” drug names can be very dangerous.  We cannot type a drug name based on what someone else “guesses” it could be. 

I know everyone who does medical transcription does so with the patient in mind and would never knowingly type something just to get rid of the report.  But with all these questionable so-called “medical transcription schools” turning out new grads every few months and telling them they have all the skills they need, I am beginning to worry that there is not enough post-education supervision.  I have seen postings from brand new graduates looking for Independent Contractor work, not through an MTSO, but on their own.  It is not out of the realm of possibility that some of these new Medical Transcriptionists have found work with small doctor’s offices because they are willing to work for next to nothing.  The problem lies in the fact that this brand new Medical Transcriptionist has no supervision because the doctor assumes she/he is well qualified. 

I think there is a huge difference between typing a word wrong because you cannot understand the doctor and typing a drug name wrong because you do not have the experience to know you are putting in the wrong drug name. 

I guess what threw me over the edge was one post where all the poster gave was a “sounds like.”  No history, no diagnoses, no dosage; nothing to compare and verify.  A reply gave the name of a drug (only 3 consonants were the same in both words).  The original poster then confirmed that this was the drug. 

Granted, and I am really hoping this is true, in all probability the original poster reread the report and compared the drug with the diagnoses.  However, my gut just seemed to feel that there may be some MTs out there who are maybe pushing TAT, it is the end of their shift, or just do not care enough to double check, who will simply type in the drug name because “it sounds close enough.” 

We expect the dictators to read over their dictations when they are returned, but we all know that in a lot of cases, reports get charted never being seen by the dictator again.  Once a wrong drug has been included in a report, the likelihood is that it will be a long time before someone realizes the mistake.  In the meantime, that wrong information could be transferred to other notes, consultations, etc. 

Case in point:  I remember when I was helping my father out when he had cancer.  He saw many different specialists and went through numerous tests, biopsies, procedures, operations.  Of course, every time they asked the same questions:  Are you allergic to any medications?  He always said “No.”  I ordered copies of all his medical records and somewhere back in the 1980s there was a notation made on his chart that he was allergic to sulfa.  He was not, but that notation was still there and every subsequent report listed an allergy to sulfa, even some of the most recent ones where I was actually sitting next to him when he answered “No” to the question.  In this case, it was no harm, no foul.  Since he was not allergic to it, it really did not matter what the chart said.  BUT, what about someone who is allergic to Aurodex, but it gets charted as Orudis? 

I think it is very dangerous that MTs are relying on the “guesses” of people who have not listened to the dictation. 

Again, I think it is great that the Word Help Board can steer MTs to the correct answer, I just think drugs should not be one of the questions answered. 

Okay, tell me I am crazy and I will quietly go back to my padded cell.

Thanks for letting me vent.