Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog
Over the last decade or so, the number of specialty pharmacies in the industry has greatly increased. According to one industry news report, this is due in part to the fact that drug manufacturers prefer to rely on a specialized pharmacy to assist patients with the administration and use of their drug than to rely on regular retail pharmacies. However, as the article notes, as more and more patients rely on these specialty mail-order pharmacies, the accuracy of these pharmacies becomes critical to patient health.
Most often, specialty pharmacies deal with very expensive medication. In many cases, this medication is provided to the patient in fairly small amounts in order to prevent what pharmacists call stockpiling, or refilling a prescription a few days early and saving the remaining doses. However, while stockpiling may be seen as a negative from the pharmacy’s and drug manufacturer’s point of view, it means that the accuracy of these pharmacies must be spot on, or else patients may miss a dose.
If a pharmacy only sends out enough medication to last a certain amount of time, and there is an error in the shipment, that may mean that a patient does not receive their required medication for several days. In some cases, this can result in serious health consequences. In fact, the article notes that it is not uncommon for a pharmacy to make an error in the quantity of medication that is sent to a patient, leaving them with less than the required amount for a given time period. Most often, a pharmacy will act quickly to remedy this error, but that doesn’t mean that the consequences can always be avoided.
Pharmacy Mistakes
Whether a retail pharmacy or a specialty mail-order pharmacy is used by a patient, both have an affirmative duty to provide their patients with accurate, timely delivery of patients’ prescribed medications. When a pharmacy fails to live up to this legal duty, it may be held liable for any injuries that occur as a result. In some cases, this can result in compensation for medical expenses and pain and suffering incurred as a result of the pharmacy’s negligence.
Types of Pharmacy Mistakes
There are several different types of errors that pharmacies commonly make when filling a patient’s prescription, and each may result in legal liability. Some of these include providing a patient with the wrong medication, providing a patient with incorrect medication instructions, providing a patient with the wrong strength or dose of a medication, and failing to provide a patient with enough of the medication to last for the predetermined refill period.
In any of these cases, a pharmacy may be held liable for its error.
Have You Been the Victim of a Pharmacy Error?
If you or a loved one has recently been the victim of a pharmacist’s error, you may be entitled to monetary compensation based on the pharmacist’s negligence. To learn more about pharmacy errors, and to learn what you need to prove in order to be successful in a pharmacy error case, call 410-654-3600 to set up a free consultation with a dedicated personal injury attorney. Calling is free, and there is no obligation to continue forward with your case unless it is your desire to do so.
More Blog Posts:
Five Dangerous Drug Combinations That Can Cause More Harm Than Good, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, June 1, 2015.
Hospitals Starting To Use New Technology to Decrease Prescription Errors, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, July 8, 2015.