Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog
As people across the United States and throughout the world have made adjustments due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and, likewise, Maryland pharmacies have done the same. For many pharmacists, they communicate with patients through masks and plastic barriers—if they communicate with patients at all. Medication pickups over the counter have also decreased, as many patients have shifted to other forms of delivery.
As in many other fields, pharmacies face new challenges pertaining to patient care and safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been an increase in prescriptions made over the telephone, as well as an increase in prescriptions being delivered by mail and through curbside pickup. These changes and others, implemented to maintain distance between people, can also lead to an increase in medication errors.
According to a recent industry news report, the new protocols can limit a pharmacist’s ability to identify and educate a patient, and it may make it easier to mix up patients with similar biographic information. Indeed, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices received regular reports of mistakes at pharmacy drive-throughs, even before the onset of the pandemic. For example, some prescribers use a pharmacy’s voice response system to call in prescriptions, which may not convey all information accurately. Additionally, physical barriers, such as masks and plastic barriers, when combined with an increased distance between pharmacists and patients, can also increase the chance of miscommunication.
Filing a Maryland Pharmacy Claim
For patients that have suffered injuries due to a medication error, patients may be able to recover compensation for their injuries. If a healthcare professional, such as a pharmacist or a doctor, was negligent in prescribing, dispensing, or providing medication, the patient may be able to sue for damages through a medical malpractice claim. In a Maryland medical malpractice claim, a patient has to prove that a healthcare professional owed the patient a duty, that the healthcare professional failed to meet their duty, that the failure directly caused the plaintiff damages, and that the plaintiff suffered damages. A healthcare professional may be liable for failing to warn patients of the dangers posed by medication or warning them not to engage in certain activities.
A healthcare professional may be liable to both the patient and others who may be injured as a result. For example, physicians have been held liable in some cases for injuries to car accident victims who were injured after a patient got into a motor vehicle accident due to a pharmacy error. Injured patients and other victims may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, costs of future treatment, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Contact a Maryland Pharmacy Error Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one has recently been harmed due to the negligence of a healthcare provider, contact the dedicated Maryland pharmacy error and medical malpractice attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen, Personal Injury Lawyers. Our attorneys have decades of combined experience and will help to guide you through the legal process and reduce the stress on you as much as possible. We have the tenacity and resources to pursue claims against all parties responsible for causing your injuries. To learn more, call Lebowitz & Mzhen toll-free at (800) 654-1949 or contact them online today. Calling is free, and we will not bill you for our services unless we can help you obtain compensation for your injuries.