Pharmacy and Medical Prescription Errors
Mistakes happen, but when it comes to your medical care, the result of one small misstep can be tragic. Our attorneys have experience representing clients who have been harmed by medical malpractice, including medication errors and pharmacy mistakes.
Overview
When patients receive medications in the hospital or fill a prescription at their local pharmacy, they trust that they are being given the right medication at the correct dosage. But due to the high volume of prescriptions, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can sometimes incorrectly fill prescriptions by giving the wrong medication or the wrong dosage. When doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care providers make mistakes in prescribing, filling or administering medications, serious injuries and even death can result.
Types of Issues
Drug Side Effects
Doctor and pharmacist errors in prescribing medication can often revolve around that medication’s side effects. Doctors who write illegible prescriptions are liable for these mistakes, especially if it comes with a failure to research and warn the patient of a drug’s possible side effects. Another issue can be doctors and pharmacists who prescribe multiple drugs simultaneously which should not be taken together.
In-Office Errors
Sometimes the medication mistake happens when you’re in the doctor’s office, not in a pharmacy. This includes nurses, doctors and other hospital personnel who give patients the wrong drug, fail to administer needed medications, or administer the wrong dose of oral or intravenous drugs. Errors in the administering of anesthesia fall under this category as well.
FAQ
Read MoreCan mistakes at the pharmacy fall under the medical malpractice category of personal injury cases?
Yes. We have seen situations where pharmacists incorrectly filled the medication prescribed by the patient’s doctor and the patient was seriously injured as a result of this negligence. We have also seen situations where pharmacists failed to warn of a drug’s possible side effect and the patient became very ill because they were not properly informed.
