Prescription Errors

Throughout our lives, we have to acquire a number of prescriptions when we are sick so we can get well. We put a lot of trust in the doctors that prescribe the medications and even more trust in the pharmacy technicians and pharmacists that fulfill those prescriptions because it is up to them to make sure we get the right medications.

Unfortunately, there are times when the wrong medicine may be dispensed or a doctor prescribes a medication without taking another condition or an allergy into account. When these things happen, serious injury or illness can result and that means medical expenses that weren’t asked for at all by the victim.

If a prescription error has happened to you, a Philadelphia medication error attorney can help you. At Brotherly Law, we have experienced attorneys ready to review what happened to you in order to see if you have a case. If you do, then we can move forward with seeking a medical malpractice settlement for you so you can have the money you need to cover your medical expenses, lost wages from missed work and even pain and suffering.

Conditions Caused by Prescription Errors

These mistakes really shouldn’t happen because there is a process between the time your doctor orders a prescription for you to the moment you pick it up. First, the doctor calls the medication into the pharmacy, the pharmacy receives the order, a technician will find the right medication on the shelf, will fulfill the prescription, label the bottle, and hand it off to the pharmacist for checking. It is up to the pharmacist to verify the medication in the bottle matches what the doctor ordered and what is on the label. From there, the pharmacist will also review any notes regarding your health to ensure you haven’t been prescribed something that can cause you a health problem.

If the pharmacist finds that there is an issue with the prescription, this can be addressed with the doctor so an alternative medication can be prescribed. Once the pharmacist has everything verified and the correct prescription ready to go, the patient picks it up and takes it as directed.

If an error occurs at any point during this process, any of the following could occur:

• Addiction to the medication if it is an addictive drug the patient wasn’t supposed to take
• Overdose
• Organ damage
• Interaction with other drugs that can cause blood pressure, heart, and liver issues
• Allergic reactions that can be deadly
• Respiratory failure
• Deterioration of the existing condition due to it not being properly treated
• The development of a new condition

Causes of Pharmacy Errors

There are a number of causes behind pharmacy errors, but there really are no excuses as to why they happen. However, being overworked is one of the most common reasons cited for pharmacy errors. Pharmacists say they are tired. This means that employers, such as hospitals and department store pharmacies, that overwork their pharmacists must be aware of the errors and the dangers that exist. This is especially important since the employer could be held negligent in a medication error case.

Another cause of pharmacy errors is negligence. Perhaps a pharmacist trusted that the technician got it right when he or she put the pills in the bottle. While pharmacy technicians are trained, they are one step in a multi-step process of making sure the medication is the right one. It is important that every step of this process is followed to prevent medication errors or to at least catch them before the drug makes its way into the hands of the patient.

Philadelphia Medication Error Attorneys Fighting Against Prescription Errors

Mistakes happen and while mistakes can be acceptable at times, they aren’t when the mistake could seriously injure or kill another person. In the case of prescription errors, it is important to hold negligent doctors and pharmacists accountable in order to compensate the victim and to also keep there from being more victims. If you or a loved one has been harmed through a prescription error, you may have a malpractice claim. To learn more, call Brotherly Law at 215-545-8500 or contact us online to request a free consultation.