Questions about Pharmacy Errors
Salt Lake City, Utah
What Is a pharmacy error?
A pharmacy error is typically known as a failure on the part of a medical professional, usually a doctor, nurse or pharmacist, to provide the appropriate prescription medication and dosage for a patient and his/her condition.
What types of mistakes are considered pharmacy errors?
Some of the most common types of pharmacy errors include:
- Not providing information on appropriate drug usage and warnings
- Incorrect filling of a prescription by providing the wrong drug, strength or dosage
- Incorrect labeling on a prescription packaging
- Failure to warn patients of potentially dangerous drug interactions
- Dispensing a medication to the wrong patient
How common are pharmacy errors in the U.S.?
Some studies estimate that nearly one in every 55 prescriptions filled in the U.S. contains some type of mistake. And shockingly, more Americans are killed every year by mistakes made in prescription medication administration than from job-related injuries, according to the American Medical Association.
Are pharmaceutical errors considered medical malpractice?
Yes, it can be. Pharmacy error falls under the general term of medical malpractice in personal injury law. To win a pharmacy error case, the four elements necessary to prove a medical malpractice lawsuit apply.
How can pharmacy customers help to prevent pharmacy errors?
- Read the information that comes with your medications.
- Be prepared to ask your doctors, nurses and pharmacists about medications that are newly prescribed.
- Keep a list of all of the medications you take regularly, both prescription and over the counter, and provide copies of that list to all of your healthcare providers.
- Always inspect any medication before taking it. If it looks different, ask why.
- When you are in the hospital, don’t take any medications given to you until you have asked the nurse to verify your hospital ID bracelet. That way, you can avoid getting another patient’s drugs by mistake, an all-too-common hospital error.
What should I do if I suspect I have been harmed by a pharmacy error?
Consult an experienced medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your case. In the Salt Lake City, Utah area, please contact the seasoned pharmacy error attorneys at G. Eric Nielson & Associates, LLC.
