Medication errors in pharmacy can cause serious health problems or even death. When you trust a pharmacy to fill your prescription, you expect them to get it right. But sometimes, pharmacists or pharmacy staff make serious mistakes that put your health at risk.
Getting the wrong medication or dosage from the pharmacy and suffering serious harm sounds like a nightmare, but it’s shockingly common!
According to the University of Connecticut’s School of Pharmacy, out of all the prescriptions filled in the US 1-5 percent of them involve some kind of error. According to the same report, prescription labels with incorrect directions are the most frequent type of errors. Giving the wrong dosage for a medicine is the second most common error pharmacists make.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), medication errors cause at least one death every day and injure about 1.3 million people annually in the United States.
So, what happens when a medication error puts your health and well-being in jeopardy? Do you have any legal recourse against the pharmacy or the person who made the mistake? Would you know what to do if a prescription error hurts you or someone you love?
Dispensing medication can be a complex process. Therefore, the pharmacist can make an error anywhere in the process. In most cases, these errors are accidental. Here are some of the reasons medication errors in pharmacy happen:
The lawsuits that result from medication errors are often complex and require an extensive understanding of the prescription drug system on the part of the attorneys who handle them.
A pharmacy dispensing error happens when the pharmacy gives you the wrong drug, wrong dosage, or wrong instructions. Some common mistakes include:
These errors can happen at big chain pharmacies or small local ones. Even experienced pharmacists can make mistakes when they’re rushed or distracted.
Taking the wrong medicine can cause serious side effects. In some cases, the wrong medication can lead to emergency room visits, long-term health problems or even death. Side effects may include:
That’s why it’s important to catch these mistakes quickly.
Prevention is preferred over treatment. Therefore, it is wise to try to avoid medication errors in pharmacy in the first place. This way you won’t have to file a claim or sue the pharmacy for any damages later on.
Here are a few ways to help protect yourself from pharmacy mistakes:
Even though pharmacists are trained professionals, don’t hesitate to be your own advocate.
Whether a medication error constitutes pharmacy malpractice , depends on the behavior that led to the error. If a doctor, pharmacist, or pharmacy staff member failed to follow established guidelines and practices for their field and didn’t exercise the reasonable care that’s expected of a medical professional, then they might have committed malpractice.
RELATED: 5 Common Examples of Lawsuit-Worthy Medical Malpractice
A pharmacist could have committed malpractice if they:
If you think your pharmacy made a mistake, take action right away:
Reporting helps protect you and others from future mistakes.
Medication errors in pharmacy are serious. The law allows you to hold pharmacies accountable for their actions.
If you were harmed by a pharmacy’s mistake, you may be able to file a medication error lawsuit. A pharmacy malpractice attorney can help you:
Medication errors in pharmacy can change your life. Pharmacy malpractice cases can be complex, but an experienced lawyer will know how to fight for your rights.
If you are the victim of pharmacy malpractice, you might be entitled to receive compensation to recover damages. In a successful case, you may receive compensation to help cover:
If a pharmacy gave you the wrong medication, and you were injured because of the mistake, don’t wait. Talk to a lawyer who handles these kinds of cases. You deserve answers—and justice.
Prescription errors can lead to untold pain and suffering for patients, but the legal system helps victims hold the people who hurt them accountable. For pharmacy malpractice victims, Attorney David L. Hood and his co-counsel legal team have over 30 years of experience handling pharmacy malpractice cases. This accomplished team can draw from a professional network of doctors, nurses, and other medical experts. We can help determine the cause of a medication mistake and provide expert testimony if medical negligence played a role in your case.
If a pharmacy error caused suffering for you or someone you love, Attorney David Hood will fight with determination and explore every available legal option to get you the justice and compensation you deserve.
Contact The Law Offices of David L. Hood today to speak with an attorney and get a free, no-risk initial assessment of your case. Call us at (843) 491-6025 or fill out our easy online contact form and we’ll follow up with you right away.
Don’t let a pharmacy’s mistake go unchecked—speak up, take action, and get the help you need!
