Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog
Earlier this month in Orlando, Florida, a woman collapsed and was admitted to the hospital after she was given a dose of medication by her pharmacist that was ten-times stronger than prescribed by her doctor. According to a recent report by one local Florida news source, the woman was filling her blood-pressure medication at a local Walgreen’s when she was provided with the wrong pills.
The woman had been taking the medication for a number of years and recalls noticing that the pills were a little larger than her normal prescription, but told reporters that she figured she had just been provided with a generic form of the drug. However, after she took just one pill she collapsed as she approached her bed; luckily it padded her fall.
Evidently, the pills that the pharmacist provided her were ten-times stronger than what her doctor had prescribed; rather than being 10mg, the pills were 100mg. The pills were the same shape, slightly larger, and had the same markings as her normal pills. When confronted about the error, the pharmacist told the woman’s husband that the 10mg pills were on the same shelf right next to the 100mg pills.
The woman has since transferred her prescription elsewhere, having little trust left for that particular pharmacy. She told reporters that, had she taken more than a single pill, “I probably would’ve died; would’ve had a stroke or a heart attack.” She has accrued a substantial amount of medical bills that, if Walgreen’s refuses to reimburse her for, will likely be the subject of a pharmacy-error lawsuit.
Pharmacy Mistakes and Patient Safety
When dealing with prescription drugs, the possibility of serious injury or death is substantial when an error occurs. In fact, the FDA claims that there are approximately 1.3 million people injured by pharmacy errors each year. Regarding fatal pharmacy errors, some sources estimate the total number of deaths per year caused by pharmacy errors to be around 7,000. Regardless of the exact numbers, the reality is that when dealing with dangerous drugs, precision is critical.
When a pharmacist makes a dispensing error and provides the wrong medication—or a wrong dose of the right medication—to a patient, that patient may be able to hold the individual pharmacist as well as the pharmacy employing that pharmacist responsible for the injuries sustained. To learn more about pharmacy error cases, contact a dedicated Maryland pharmacy error attorney.
Have You Been Injured By a Pharmacist’s Dispensing Error?
If you or a loved one has recently been injured after you were provided with the wrong medication by a pharmacist, you may be entitled to monetary compensation to help you cover the costs of your injuries. Depending on the specific circumstances of the case, a pharmacy-error plaintiff may be able to recover for past and future medical expenses, lost wages, decrease in earning capacity, and in some cases punitive damages. To learn more, and to speak to a dedicated pharmacy error attorney call 410-654-3600 to set up a free consultation with an attorney today.
More Blog Posts:
Woman Hospitalized for “Poisoning” After Pharmacist’s Error, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, February 23, 2015.
California Costco Pharmacy Mis-Fills One Patient’s Prescription Twice in One Year, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, January 22, 2015.