Earlier last month in Oklahoma City, a man was admitted to the hospital after taking another person’s medication that he was given at a local CVS Pharmacy. According to a report by one local news source, the man had just gotten his wisdom teeth taken out and was prescribed antibiotics and a strong dose of Ibuprofen. However, when he went to get the prescription filled, he was given someone else’s medication.
Evidently, after taking the wrong medicine for a couple days, the man’s wife noticed that he was acting different. He was sick and acting as though he was drunk each time he took the medication. As it turns out, he was taking anti-depression medication that was prescribed to another customer. He took a hefty dose of 300 mg, which was the prescribed dose of the ibuprofen he thought he was taking.
After he was admitted to the hospital, doctors determined that he would be fine. However, he was suffering from heart palpitations and extremely high blood pressure for those few days when he was taking the medication. A CVS representative told reporters that they have “comprehensive policies and procedures in place to ensure prescription safety and errors are a very rare occurrence,” and offered to pay for all the medical expenses the man incurred.
Pharmacy Errors in Maryland
When asked about the pharmacy error, the man’s wife told reporters “I don’t call that a mistake, I call that negligence.” She seems to have a point. Pharmacies are charged with the task of accurately filling prescriptions and delivering them to their customers. When they fail to do this, the chance of a serious or fatal medication error greatly increases.
The reasons for a pharmacy error vary, but most often we see that they are related to the heavy workload placed on pharmacists and pharmacist technicians. As people get busy, they take shortcuts. And when a pharmacist takes a shortcut, the safety of his or her customers is at risk.
Thankfully, whenever a pharmacy error results in any kind of serious injury, the injured party is entitled to monetary compensation from the pharmacy to help compensate him or her for the injuries. While this may not be a true substitute for the pain and suffering experienced, it is some consolation.
Have You Been Injured By a Pharmacist’s Error?
If you or a loved one has been provided medication that you were not prescribed by a pharmacist, and you have suffered some harm as a result, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. The Maryland personal injury law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers has been bringing pharmacy error cases for years and knows what it takes to bring successful claims on behalf of their clients. If you think you may have a case against a pharmacy for an error it made filling your prescription, call 410-654-3600 to set up a free initial consultation today.
More Blog Posts:
New Zealand Man Dies Due to Pharmacist’s Error, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, September 3, 2014.
Pharmacist Overprescribes Blood-Thinner, Causing Man to Cough Up Blood, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, October 9, 2014.