Team factors include distractions, organisation and irritations. There are numerous distractions in the pharmacy every day and these should be actively reduced, especially when prescriptions are being checked. Many pharmacists allow themselves to be interrupted by queries from the team at any time.

A narrow external focus is needed for checking, but interruptions can result in a much wider focus and this can easily lead to errors. Creating an environment where the pharmacist or accuracy checking pharmacy technician (ACPT) is not interrupted at all during the process of checking should reduce the risk of errors.

Some pharmacists have done this by creating a physical zone (an area of the dispensing bench and a marked space on the floor) where they cannot be interrupted when they stand in it.

Organisation is also important. A disorganised environment will lead to an increased number of errors, as the stress created by working in chaos and dealing with the resulting problems will act as a distraction.

Irritations can relate to interpersonal problems between members of the pharmacy team. Failure to communicate effectively and work collaboratively should be identified quickly and dealt with firmly and fairly by the pharmacist or dispensary manager.