Types of Pharmacy Error Cases We Handle

From the day you contact a doctor to the moment you take a prescribed medication, there are countless opportunities for an error to occur that leads to serious complications. From fatigue to poor handwriting to inadequate operational procedures, there are myriad reasons why medication mistakes happen, but at the end of the day, healthcare providers have a duty to use accepted standards of care, and they may be held liable for damages when that duty is breached.

Our Palm City pharmacy error lawyers have many years of experience in tort actions against pharmacists, doctors, and their employers. We accept the following kinds of pharmacy error cases:

Overdose or Underdose: Most people associate overdose with the abuse of illegal drugs and prescription opioids, but the truth is that you can overdose on any type of medication. The consequences of taking too much or too little of a drug depend on the specific type of medication and your particular condition. If your doctor prescribed too high or too low a dosage or if the pharmacist dispensed the wrong dosage and you were harmed or your condition worsened as a result, you might be entitled to damages.

Harmful Drug Interactions: There’s a reason why doctors are required to ask patients about their current medications before prescribing a drug; some medications and even dietary supplements can have harmful interactions with one another. If you suffered side effects due to such an interaction despite notifying your doctor about your current medications, you might have grounds for a pharmacy error claim.

Allergic Reactions: If you disclosed your allergies to your doctor but he or she still prescribed a medication that contained an ingredient to which you are allergic, that doctor (or his or her employer) might be liable for any damages you incur as a result.

Dispensing the Wrong Medication: This is one of the most common pharmacy errors, and it also happens to be one of the most devastating for patients. Taking the wrong drug could result in serious, unexpected side effects while also allowing your condition to worsen.

Failing to Give the Patient Adequate Instructions: Taking a drug at the wrong time of day or too frequently can have devastating consequences. Sometimes a medication isn’t effective unless it’s taken before or after a meal or administered via a particular technique. If you weren’t provided with sufficient instructions, you might have grounds for a pharmacy error claim.

Failing to Follow up with the Doctor When Appropriate: If a prescription is unclear, the pharmacist can’t just make a guess at what the doctor intended to prescribe; the pharmacist must contact the doctor for clarification.

Dispensing Expired Medication: Some drugs are ineffective or potentially harmful once they’ve reached their expiration date. Pharmacies should have safety measures in place to prevent these errors.

Other Pharmacy Error Cases: At the end of the day, patients may have grounds for a personal injury claim if they suffered damages as a direct result of medical negligence. If you were injured or lost a family member due to a mistake made by a pharmacist or doctor, contact a Palm City pharmacy error attorney at Donaldson & Weston for a free consultation.