Tens of thousands of patients are provided the wrong medication, wrong dose, or wrong instructions in their prescriptions each year. These Maryland pharmacy errors can range in seriousness. On one end of the spectrum are the errors that are caught by the patient before any medication is ingested. While these errors present no risk of injury, they are still alarming.
More serious prescription errors are those that result in serious injuries or death. While there are tens of thousands of documented errors each year, approximately 7,000 of these errors are fatal. Over the past decade, the pharmacy industry has been the focus of many studies looking at how to decrease the cases of serious and fatal errors. A recent report discusses five of the most common recommendations for pharmacists to take that will decrease their error rates.
Provide enough pharmacists – One of the leading causes of pharmacy errors is that the pharmacist filling the prescription is overworked. By ensuring that there are enough pharmacist staff members on duty, pharmacies are able to keep workloads manageable and provide much-needed breaks to pharmacists.
Double check that the prescription is transcribed correctly – Many pharmacy errors are caused by a pharmacist jotting down the incorrect medication or dose. By taking the time to ensure accuracy, the chances of mis-filling a prescription decrease.
Seek clarification – If a pharmacist is unsure what a physician means or cannot read her handwriting, the pharmacist should reach out to the physician and confirm.
Check prescriptions thoroughly – Pharmacists should make sure that refill requests and new prescriptions alike match the patient’s profile.
Provide patient counseling – When pharmacists take the time to sit down with a patient and answer any questions, the pharmacist necessarily has one more opportunity to catch an error. Additionally, if the pharmacist opens the bottle and shows the patient what the medication looks like, the pharmacist will be able to verify that the medication provided to the patient was what was intended.
Maryland Pharmacy Error Cases
Pharmacy errors should not occur. When they do, patients who suffered harm as a result may be entitled to monetary compensation through a Maryland pharmacy error lawsuit. While these lawsuits may seem straightforward upon initial review, many pharmacy error claims are complex and require the testimony of medical experts to prove certain elements. Those who are considering bringing a pharmacy error claim should seek out a dedicated Maryland pharmacy error attorney to discuss their case.
Have You Been a Victim of a Pharmacist’s Negligence?
If you or a loved one has recently been a victim of a Maryland pharmacy error, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. The skilled Maryland pharmacy error attorneys at the law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers have extensive experience handling all types of pharmacy error claims, including mis-filled prescriptions and drug recall cases. We offer all prospective clients a free consultation to discuss their case and explain the level of service we provide. There is no obligation to schedule your consultation, and we will not collect any fee from you unless we can assist you in recovering the compensation you deserve.
More Blog Posts:
The Risks of Pharmacy Compounding Errors in Hospitals May Be Under-Appreciated, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, September 15, 2017.
Pharmacy Errors Resulting from Incorrectly Read Prescriptions, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, September 1, 2017.