Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog

COVID-19 Vaccines Being Distributed in Maryland

December 24, 2020 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland is receiving nearly 200,000 vaccine doses that will go to front-line hospital workers, first responders, and long-term care facility residents and staff in the state. Some Maryland pharmacies are receiving shipments of the vaccine to administer to nursing home residents and staff through the CDC’s Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program.

To date, two vaccines have received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use: Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. Both are now being distributed in Maryland. Both Pfizer-BioNTech’s and Moderna’s vaccines have been shown to be about 95% effective in preventing symptoms and decreasing severe COVID-19 infection.

The two approved vaccines require two doses of the vaccine. Pfizer’s is administered three weeks apart, and Moderna’s is administered four weeks apart. Both vaccines have shown some minor-to-moderate side effects, including pain, fatigue, headaches, chills, and joint pain. Both approved vaccines are mRNA vaccines, which means that those vaccines work by teaching one’s body to create an immune response to the virus without getting sick with the virus and without putting a weakened or inactivated virus in people’s bodies. The mRNA vaccines do not use the live virus that causes COVID-19, and someone who gets vaccinated cannot get infected with COVID-19 from the vaccination.

Maryland Nursing Homes Must Continue to Protect Residents as COVID-19 Vaccines Roll Out

December 18, 2020 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Many nursing home residents rightfully rejoiced this week as nursing homes began receiving vaccines for distribution. Long-term care facilities have suffered many of the COVID-19 deaths in the country. At least a third of COVID-19 deaths in the United States have been among residents and employees of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. There have now been more than 20,000 cases of COVID-19 in Maryland nursing homes, group homes, and assisted living facilities in Maryland and at least 2,200 resident deaths during the pandemic. Deaths in these facilities have accounted for about half of the state’s death toll.

According to a recent New York Times report, Finally, CVS and Walgreens pharmacies are beginning to distribute COVID-19 vaccinations this week in the state’s long-term care facilities. Many residents are anxious to get vaccinated and end a long period of isolation from their families. Vaccinations have begun to be administered in facilities just as the conditions in the facilities have deteriorated again. According to the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, there have been almost 20,000 cases and about 5,000 deaths per week in recent reports.

However, even as residents and staff are beginning to get vaccinated and celebrate the milestone, Maryland nursing homes and long-term care facilities must still take care not to spread COVID-19 in the facilities by relaxing precautions yet. Vaccinations are voluntary, so most nursing homes likely will not be able to vaccinate all residents and staff. Facilities may also have difficulty obtaining informed consent from patients who lack the capacity to make the decision on their own. Facilities will still have to protect residents who do not get the vaccine. In addition, it is not clear if the vaccine will be 95 percent effective among older people who are more vulnerable to disease in general.

How Will Automation in Maryland Pharmacies Affect Medication Errors?

December 17, 2020 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Each year, between 7,000 and 9,000 people die in the United States because of a medication error. Many more experience adverse reactions that are not reported. Maryland medication error victims often suffer from physical pain as well as psychological pain because of the error. The problem of medication errors, which are often due to human error, has pushed many pharmacies to begin implemented pharmacy automation. Pharmacy automation is a process that includes the handling and distribution of medications in pharmacies and hospitals.

Automation can include counting medicines as well as maintaining and updating patient information. The global pharmacy automation market is expected to continue to grow. The reasons for which growth is expected include a shift towards digitization and a rise in investment in healthcare development in certain countries, leading to an increase in opportunities for growth. Some see automation as a way to avoid medication errors, although it may also bring about risks and new opportunities for errors to be made.

If someone is injured due to a medication error, they may be able to file a negligence claim against the pharmacist, doctor, or other provider, in order to hold them responsible for the error and seek financial compensation. In a Maryland medication error negligence case, a victim generally has to show that the defendant owed the victim a duty, the defendant failed to meet the standard of care required, the victim was injured because of the defendant’s negligent conduct, and the defendant’s conduct caused the victim injuries. A medication error victim has to prove it was more probable than not that the injury the victim suffered was caused by the healthcare professional’s negligent conduct. In the tragic event of a death caused by a medication error, certain members of the decedent’s family may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim against the responsible parties.

What Does Amazon’s Entrance into the Pharmacy Market Mean for Maryland Pharmacy Errors?

December 11, 2020 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Amazon is one of the most valuable companies in the United States, and is getting even more and more utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Americans order an increasing amount of things online, from groceries to pet supplies, books, and décor. Now, Maryland shoppers may be able to get one more thing from this giant retailer: their prescriptions. Last month, Amazon announced the launch of Amazon Pharmacy, a delivery service for prescription medications. The service would allow Amazon customers to purchase prescription drugs with or without health insurance, which Amazon claims will save them money, up to “80 percent off generic and 40 percent off brand name medications when paying without insurance.” Is is unclear, however, how Amazon Pharmacy could impact the prevalence of Maryland pharmacy errors.

While the potential savings on drug prices sound great, experts say that Amazon Pharmacy is likely not going to be a game-changer when it comes to the high cost of prescription medications. Customers may enjoy some savings, but this online option is likely to work similarly to other online pharmacies and cannot solve the large and complicated problem of U.S. drug pricing. Still, professionals are watching to see what impact Amazon Pharmacy has and how many Americans utilize it for their medications.

Maryland pharmacy errors are a persistent problem, sometimes causing severe injury or illness. And, unfortunately, anyone who has ever ordered something online can tell you that online shopping does not always go off without a hitch—sometimes the wrong product or item can be sent, items can be swapped with others, or a package could get lost or never arrived. Pharmacy safety advocates should watch closely to see whether or not Amazon Pharmacy falls prey to the same errors that occur in pharmacies every day. It’s very possible that pharmacy errors continue to plague Maryland patients, regardless of where they get their prescription.

Widespread Maryland Pharmacy Errors Could Threaten Patient Health

December 4, 2020 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

In this blog, we write about Maryland pharmacy errors, which occur when any mistake is made between the doctor writing the prescription and the patient taking it. Some of these errors include dispensing errors—when a pharmacist makes a mistake dispensing the medication based on the written prescription. These errors can come in a few different forms—maybe the dosage or strength is mistaken, for example—but one of the most dangerous errors is when the wrong medications are dispensed. Usually, we write about instances where this happens on an individual level—when a patient is given the wrong medication—but occasionally, this can happen on a much wider level as well, affecting many patients.

For example, recently, one health clinic experienced a widespread dispensing error thought to have stemmed from a pharmacy machine malfunction. According to a news report covering the story, the wrong medications were mixed in with some prescriptions dispensed between November 9th and 16th at the health clinic. Officials are now reaching out to all those who picked up prescriptions during that time frame to try and make sure they do not accidentally take the wrong medication, which could potentially cause serious injury or illness. But it may be hard to find everyone who picked up prescriptions. For example, officials believe that some individuals had their phone numbers changed since they first entered them into the system—meaning that they cannot find them at the moment.

So far, no serious adverse health outcomes have occurred. But the situation is being monitored closely—it is possible some adverse health outcomes may not be experienced right away. This situation shines a light on how dispensing errors could happen and not be caught. If it’s a new prescription, or one that looks similar to another, individuals might not even realize that there’s a problem and take the medication. If they begin to feel negative symptoms, it may take them a while to figure out that a pharmacy error was the cause, especially since most people expect pharmacists and prescriptions to be accurate.

Maryland Pharmacy Accidents: What is a Dispensing Error?

November 25, 2020 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

In this blog, we often write about Maryland pharmacy errors, their potential negative consequences, and how to recover against negligent pharmacies. However, it can sometimes be difficult to understand exactly how Maryland pharmacy errors occur. Today, we focus specifically on dispensing errors—errors that occur as pharmacists dispense medication, which is one of their key responsibilities and a large part of their job.

Dispensing errors are one type of Maryland pharmacy errors that occur when the medication is dispensed into the pill bottle or other package for patients to take home. In this case, the prescription is written correctly by the doctor, but an error occurs when it comes to actually filling it. There are a few ways dispensing errors could occur—a pharmacist could dispense the wrong formulation of a medication, for example, or could put an incorrect label on it. Some research suggests that the most common dispensing errors are prescriptions given with the wrong dosage or strength of the medicine and prescriptions with the wrong medicine altogether.

Why Do Pharmacy Dispensing Errors Happen?

One of the reasons dispensing errors occur is so simple it might be missed: humans make mistakes. Despite their specialized knowledge and experience, pharmacists are human, and they are prone to mistakes just like everyone else, especially in busy, stressful, and overwhelming work environments. With the current COVID-19 pandemic, unfortunately, these work environments have become the norm, which can exacerbate an already existing problem.

Report Highlights Increased Risk of Maryland Medication Errors Due to COVID

November 24, 2020 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The COVID-19 pandemic has put added pressure and stress and healthcare professionals, especially as some hospitals have seen an influx of hospitalizations due to COVID-19, including the increased risk for medication errors for Maryland patients. A recent report from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices highlights the issue of medication errors related to the pandemic. There has been at least one lethal drug error in a hospital that struggled to cope with a surge in coronavirus cases. According to the report, a nurse who worked at the hospital where the death occurred worked in a busy intensive care unit that was treating about 20 COVID-19 patients each day. The nurse reported that they were overwhelmed with patients and under-resourced, and had stashes of medication left in patients’ closets and drawers. One researcher said a “rushed and hectic environment” can lead to a relaxation of safety measures and double-checks to avoid errors.

The report highlighted the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, which established a process to review workflow changes and patient safety events at the beginning of the pandemic in order to minimize potential medication errors. The Center made it standard practice to use a single concentration for high-alert medication whenever it was possible. On the other hand, the University of Maryland decided to eliminate a previous requirement that two nurses had to sign off on the administration of all medications. It now allows nurses to administer non-high alert medication without having witnesses present. The Institute provided several suggestions for avoiding prescription errors during the COVID-19 pandemic, including establishing a process for carrying out independent double checks before certain critical infusions are administered and affixing bold auxiliary labels to critical care infusions when dispensing a nonstandard concentration or a neuromuscular blocking agent.

Are Maryland Medication Error Victims Entitled to Compensation?

Victims of medication errors may be entitled to financial compensation for their medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages. In a negligence claim in a Maryland medication error case, a patient would have to show that a healthcare professional failed to meet the relevant standard of care by providing the patient with the wrong drug or dosage. A victim would have to show that it was more probable than not that the injury the plaintiff suffered as a result was caused by the healthcare professional’s negligent act. Due to the nature of these claims, medication error cases generally require expert testimony explaining how the healthcare professional acted negligently and how the professional’s negligent act caused the plaintiff’s injuries.

Liability of Maryland Doctors in Dispensing Medications

November 11, 2020 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Laws vary from state to state regarding the authority of certain persons to dispense medication. In Maryland, physicians are permitted to dispense medication subject to certain regulations. Maryland physicians who are permitted to dispense medication must obtain a dispensing permit from the Maryland Board of Physicians. But the ability to dispense medication poses additional avenues of liability for physicians and raise concerns among some and may pose additional risks for Maryland patients, as one recent article showed.

The article raised the issue of whether physicians should be permitted to dispense medications. In an editorial in another paper, a writer had suggested that it is a good idea to have doctors dispense medications directly to patients, because it may be easier and cheaper for patients. Three doctors in Montana recently filed a lawsuit seeking to be allowed to dispense medications directly to their patients. Dispensing medication directly to patients is prohibited in that state. However, critics say that dispensing medication directly to patients raises serious medication safety concerns. In particular, there is a concern that there would not be a second review by a pharmacist of the prescription. There is also a concern about the lack of regulatory oversight, such as labeling, supervision, and storage.

When Do Most Pharmacy Errors Occur?

Pharmacy errors can occur at different stages in the process. Having a pharmacist dispense and administer the medication means that the pharmacist can act as a check on errors that can occur when prescribing medication. Allowing a doctor to prescribe and dispense a medication means that there would likely be no second person reviewing and checking for errors before the medication reaches a patient. Prescribing errors can, of course, cause significant harm to patients.

Maryland Pharmacy Error Reports May Have Gone Down, But That Doesn’t Mean Mistakes Have Decreased

November 4, 2020 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland pharmacy errors can take many forms—an incorrect dosage, for example, or even the incorrect medicine. Perhaps the pharmacist accidentally prints instructions telling the patient to take the medicine twice a day instead of twice a week, or misreads a doctor’s written prescription. Whatever the error, pharmacy errors have one important thing in common: they are more likely to happen when pharmacists are stressed, overworked, and distracted—three things they have been known to be since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With pharmacists and pharmacy technicians overworked and operating in stressful and hectic work environments, it may come as a surprise to many that there has been a significant decrease in the number of pharmacy errors and patient safety incidents being reported since March. According to a Pharmacy Business article, there was a 44.5% decrease in the number of incidents reported during the second quarter of 2020, compared to the first. Additionally, there was a 40.6% decrease in the number of incidents reported compared to the same quarter in 2019. While this may seem like good news, experts say it’s not. In fact, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has asked community pharmacies to report all safety incidents—believing that they are currently not doing so. In a recent update, NPA said that the significant reduction in the number of incidents being reported “may be due to the increased workload and pressure on pharmacy teams due to the COVID-19 pandemic, whereby pharmacy teams may not be prioritizing reporting of patient safety incidents.”

It is thus important that Maryland residents understand that a decrease in reported errors probably does not mean an actual decrease in errors—if anything, pharmacy errors are expected to be increasing during this stressful time. Pharmacists are working frantically to fill prescriptions, maintain a safe and clean working environment, and respond to patient requests, with the stress of COVID-19 constantly looming. As such, they are likely to be distracted and hurried, perhaps missing pharmacy errors that could cause significant harm to patients.

Reading Prescription Labels May Help Protect Patients from Maryland Pharmacy Errors

October 28, 2020 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland pharmacy errors occur when a patient is given a prescription drug that is flawed in some way. It may be the incorrect drug, or the incorrect dosage, or it may be that the instructions are incorrect, causing the patient to take the drug too often, not often enough, or at the incorrect times. Because prescription drugs are often powerful and dangerous if taken incorrectly, pharmacy errors can cause severe illness or injuries, especially if they are not caught for a significant period of time.

How Can Patients Protect Themselves from Medication Errors?

Patients can protect themselves from Maryland pharmacy errors by carefully reading the drug labels and prescription information every time they pick up a prescription. These labels not only provide important information on safe and proper medication use; they also can help the patient check for errors. For example, the information provided with the prescription often indicates what the medication looks like, by describing it as “small white pills” or “red oblong capsules.” Patients should compare this information to the actual medication they receive, to ensure there has not been a drug mix-up.