Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog
As the medical industry progresses and new treatments are developed to address novel health concerns, pharmacists and pharmacy employees have a responsibility to keep up to date on the safe practices for dispensing the medications that have been prescribed. With the advent of new antiviral treatments for Covid-19 infection, pharmacy errors have unfortunately occurred. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices, a professional organization for the pharmaceutical industry, recently released a report on the misadministration of an antiviral cocktail that had been effective at battling Covid-19 infection.
According to the industry journal, the antiviral medication cocktail marketed as Paxlovid has shown promise at treating Covid-19 infection, however dispensing mistakes have been noticed at pharmacies nationwide. The largest single issue with the administration of the drug appears when it is being administered to patients with kidney disease. If a patient exhibited moderate kidney disease and was prescribed the drug, a pharmacist was supposed to remove some of the pills from the blister pack to avoid damaging the patient’s kidneys, however, this was not always done. Patients with severe kidney disease should not have been prescribed the drug at all.
What Are the Common Causes of Prescription Errors?
A mixture of poor package design, unclear instructions, and pharmacist negligence has resulted in patients receiving the wrong dosage of the medication, potentially causing harm. According to the report, some patients received their prescription with the wrong pills removed, while others were prescribed the medication while suffering from advanced kidney disease, putting them at serious risk. Although the article does not mention any serious negative patient outcomes as a result of these errors, mistakes like these can be fatal in some instances. When dispensing a new medication that a patient has not taken before, a pharmacy employee has a responsibility to confirm that the patient understands the correct dosage and method of administration before sending them home with a bottle of pills.
The article notes that since the initial marketing of the medication, the packaging has been changed to make it easier for pharmacists to correctly dispense the pills to a patient with kidney disease. Although the recent changes to the product’s packaging may help prevent future errors, no solution is perfect, and pharmacy errors will continue to put patients at risk, both with this particular medication as well as other treatments for various ailments. As long as pharmacies and their employees are tasked with treating so many patients in a short amount of time, the risk of error will remain.
Finding Your DC, Maryland, or Virginia Pharmacy Error Attorney
If you or someone you know suspects that they have been harmed by a pharmacy error, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Reach out to an experienced D.C. pharmacy error attorney from Lebowitz and Mzhen to discuss your case. Our qualified medical malpractice lawyers represent clients from throughout the Capitol region in many sorts of medical tort cases, including pharmacy error claims. Contact us to schedule a no obligation consultation to discuss your case with an experienced attorney today. Call now at 800-654-1949 to schedule a free consultation.