What is Pharmacy Negligence?
There exists an easily overlooked form of medical malpractice wherein a patient is injured due to the irresponsible behavior of the pharmacist. Pharmacy employees have a legal responsibility to protect patients and administer the correct medication with accuracy and professionalism. To a layman, sorting through pills with complicated names and various prescriptions and dosages is easily overwhelming, but a trained professional should be confident and above all competent in his work. Pharmacy errors are entirely too dangerous to be taken lightly. Contact a personal injury attorney in Orlando immediately if you or a loved one suffers illness or wrongful death for any of these inexcusable reasons.
Incorrect Medication
A recent 10-year study revealed that over 75 percent of medical malpractice injuries were caused by incorrect medication, either the wrong type or dosage. Even if there is a misprint on a label or prescription, it is the moral and legal duty of the pharmacist to recognize potential errors and contact the physician to confirm. The most common pharmacy errors occur when medications have similar sounding names, but any experienced pharmacist should be able to notice such a crucial difference. Whether a reasonable dosage should consist of .25 milligrams or 25 milligrams is the type of thing no qualified pharmacist would easily overlook. For many cases involving medical malpractice of this kind, an Orlando personal injury attorney will show evidence of dangerous negligence on the part of the pharmaceutical staff.
A failure to apply the correct directions to a prescription is another equally common and dangerous cause of pharmacy error. Your pharmacist should be verifying that everything attached to your prescriptions matches the electronic files and your doctor’s specific orders.
Failure to Understanding Medical History
Always speak to an Orlando personal injury lawyer if your prescriptions were filled without regard to your current medical history. Prescriptions that can possibly counteract with one another can result in side effects, worsening of symptoms, or even create new ailments that exacerbate a patient’s situation. It is the duty of the pharmacist to recognize potential warning signs, report concerns to doctors, and inform patients of potential side effects. Particularly when severely ailing patients have medications from separate doctors, it is crucial that every prescription be thoroughly compared. An unexpected side effect of high blood pressure, nausea, or increased heart rate could prove fatal in the worse circumstances. Furthermore, a pharmacist should always take time to review your prescriptions and notify you of important directions, potential side effects, and need-to-know checks.
Screening Prescriptions
The same patient bringing in multiple prescriptions from various doctors or requesting additional refills is often a clear sign of abuse and addiction. Your pharmacist, as well as your Orlando personal injury attorney, understands that Opioid addictions that are increasingly common in America frequently begin with patients who do not realize that the medication is highly addictive. Your pharmacist is responsible for ensuring that you fully comprehend the scope and potency of your medications, and professional pharmacists should be able to spot red flags that put you and your loved ones at risk.
