New Report Indicates Pharmacy Errors Are Often Results of System-Wide Lapses

Pharmacy errors are much more common than most people believe. Indeed, according to some estimates, one in 12 patients are provided the wrong medication or an incorrect dose, or are given instructions that are not correct, given the patient’s specific circumstances. While most Maryland pharmacy errors do not result in serious harm to the patient, thousands of errors each year result in hospitalization.

According to a recent article, the British Health Secretary is so concerned with the high rate of prescription errors in his country that he has vowed to conduct an in-depth investigation into the root causes of these errors and to develop remedial measures to decrease the prevalence of pharmacy errors moving forward. The article explains that of the roughly one billion prescriptions filled by pharmacies each year, approximately 80 million contain some kind of error.

Some experts attribute the high rate of errors to frequent lapses of care across the health care system, including a lack of knowledge of primary care physicians and a hasty pharmacy environment. Researchers hope that the continued development of automated pharmaceutical dispensing systems will help to decrease error rates in the future; however, these systems come with their own risks of use.

Maryland Pharmacy Errors

The frequency at which pharmacy errors are made is startlingly high; however, the exact error rate is unknown, due to the lax reporting requirements in the United States. Indeed, most states rely on a discretionary reporting system that allows pharmacists to make the ultimate determination if an error will be reported. This results in a system of little oversight and a correspondingly low risk of being held responsible for an error.

Those who have been victims of a pharmacy error may be entitled to compensation for their injuries through a Maryland pharmacy error lawsuit. In order to bring a successful claim against a pharmacy for an alleged error, a patient must be able to establish that they suffered some type of injury or harm due to the pharmacist’s error. Due to the complexities of the issues involved, many cases require the testimony of a medical expert to explain to the judge or jury why a patient’s symptoms are linked to the ingestion of an unprescribed medication.

Have You Been a Victim of a Maryland Pharmacy Error?

If you or a loved one has recently been a victim of a Maryland pharmacy error, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. The dedicated Maryland personal injury attorneys at the law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers have extensive experience helping victims of pharmacy errors obtain fair compensation for their injuries and move on with their lives. We have helped thousands of victims over the decades, and we look forward to speaking with you about your case. Call 410-654-3600 to schedule a free consultation with an attorney today.

More Blog Posts:

Workplace Pressure Is a Key Factor in the High Rate of Maryland Pharmacy Errors, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, August 1, 2017.

Pharmacy Errors Resulting from Incorrectly Read Prescriptions, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, September 1, 2017.

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