The highest rates were seen among pilots who routinely flew across five or more time zones. Since the pilots' exposure to radiation was estimated to be well within occupational safety standards, the researchers hypothesize that the cause is due to disturbed sleep patterns, possibly involving melatonin fluctuations. OEM , February 2000, Dr. Vilhjalmur Rafnsson, et al. North Carolina officials say that 36 deaths were reported in 1999, but believe that many more are never reported. The nonprofit Institute for Safe Medication Practices estimates that 2-3 percent of filled prescriptions are erroneous.
Many pharmacists blame mistakes on ever-increasing workloads.
In one case that went to court, the pharmacist was working 12 hours each day, five days per week. The AP report blames the increased workload on insurance companies for encouraging doctors to prescribe a pill instead of using a more expensive treatment that might require hospitalization or other physician-intensive attention. Associated Press, February 12, 2000. Imagine Immunity British researchers working with cancer patients report that relaxation and guided imagery techniques appear to boost a patient's immune system. They took a small group of 80 women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer and randomly chose half for additional muscle relaxation and imagery therapies.