Question 1

What Are Common Pharmacy Errors?

Accepted Answer

Although pharmacy errors can happen in a number of different ways, some of the most common mistakes include:

Wrong Drug: When the wrong drug is provided to a patient. This may happen when a pharmacist fails to read a prescription or recognize the drug indicated on it. Inasmuch as many drugs have similar-sounding names and handwritten prescriptions may not always be clear, pharmacists need to go the extra mile to confirm the drug order with the prescribing physician. It’s their job to make sure the right drug is provided.
Incorrect Dosage: When the proper drug is provided, it must be issued at the correct strength or dosage level. This is even more crucial for children and infants, when even a small error can have catastrophic results.
Improper Amount: Prescriptions indicate how much of a drug should be provided to a patient. Too little or too much can result in a patient not having enough for a full treatment term, or accidentally taking medication for longer than needed. Either way, an improper amount of a drug can cause serious harm.
Lack of Information: Some medications have vital instructions that pharmacists must clarify to patients when filling their orders. Failing to offer this information can lead to improper use and subsequent injury. For example, one recent case involved an antipsychotic drug being mistakenly prescribed to a 5-year-old boy. His parents filed a lawsuit against the pharmacy, arguing among other things that they should have been properly warned that the antipsychotic is dangerous for children in the dosage that was given. They had no idea, and the boy had to be rushed to the emergency department.
Error in Prescribing: When a pharmacist issues a patient a prescribed drug, but the doctor made a mistake in prescribing it, the pharmacist may not be wholly to blame. In this situation, it is important to go to the source of the error and hold the correct person liable.

Whistleblowers at some of the largest pharmacy chains in America are blaming understaffing and increasing pressure to fill more prescriptions quickly with these errors.

Question 2

What Are the Consequences of Pharmacy Errors?

Accepted Answer

The results of a pharmacy error depend on the drug and the patient to whom it was given. The reaction may be fairly minor and have no long-term effects, but this is a rarity. Given the fact that drugs that must be prescribed are more powerful and dangerous than over-the-counter medication, any prescription error will often have very serious or fatal consequences. These can include:

Allergic reactions to drugs
Multiple drugs reacting within a patient, causing harm or counteracting each other
Overdoses, leading to injury, coma, or death
Improper instructions that cause accidents, incorrect dosage, or improper treatment
Brain damage due to wrong drug use or drug interaction
Lack of the right medication, allowing the patient’s illness or disease to worsen

Question 3

Who’s Liable for Prescription Errors?

Accepted Answer

Determining who is liable for a pharmacy error typically comes down to the details of the incident, which is why it is so important to have an experienced medical malpractice attorney by your side. Pharmacies located within hospitals can fail to provide patients with the right medication, which might make the hospital itself liable for such an error - especially if the hospital failed to provide proper training, enforce safe practices, or screen employees for the job.

Pharmacies located in commercial stores can also make mistakes, and figuring out who is at fault in such a situation is often tricky. Was it a combination of errors, poor administrative practices, or something else?

Our knowledgeable Denver trial lawyers at Leventhal Puga Braley P.C. look at the evidence, hire investigators, and consult with pharmaceutical professionals to see where negligence lies and who to hold accountable for the harm done to our client. We have decades of experience dealing with various forms of medical malpractice and fighting for the rights of victims across the United States.

Dealing with a pharmacy error can take a long time and requires a deep understanding of the healthcare and legal systems. Call us at (877) 433-3906 for a free consultation to see if we can help you recover fair compensation.

Denver Pharmacy Error Lawyers

Top Trial Lawyers for Victims of Medication Mistakes

What Are Common Pharmacy Errors?

What Are the Consequences of Pharmacy Errors?

Who’s Liable for Prescription Errors?

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