More on Pharmacy Error Cases - What To Do If You Are Injured
You or a loved one can be seriously injured as a result of pharmacy errors. Prescription medication errors fall into 3 categories:
- Dispensing the wrong medication – you may have asked for one drug and the pharmacist gives you another by mistake;
- Giving the patient the wrong dosage – you request 100 mg and are given 1000 mg by mistake; or
- Failing to account for known drug allergies or harmful interactions – your regular pharmacist knows of your allergy to drug A, but unknown to you, gives it to you anyway; or your pharmacist is aware that you are taking drug A, and gives you a drug that creates a known and harmful interaction with drug B that you already are taking.
What should you do if a loved one is injured as a result of a pharmacy error? An experienced attorney will collect all medical records from the treating physician or hospital, as well as from the pharmacy. He or she then will consult with the best pharmacology experts who can testify about the toxicity of the drug or dosage received. In a good case, the expert will be able to show that the pharmacist made an error from a clearly written prescription.
What damages can you seek if you are injured as a result of a pharmacy error?
i) Medical bills and the present cost of treatment; ii) Future medical costs and care required to treat the long-term effects of the harmful medicine; iii) lost earnings if the injury or illness prevents you from working; iv) loss of enjoyment of life; and v) pain and suffering. If the unfortunate patient died, a wrongful death and survivor case can be made against the pharmacy.