The federal government classifies medication as prescription-only for a reason. Often, this is because these drugs can have severe interactions with other medicines or because they carry the risk of severe side effects when not taken under close supervision. Any patient who receives the wrong medication from a pharmacy is at risk of developing a serious illness or condition, but young patients are perhaps most at risk following a Maryland pharmacy error.
Earlier this month, a local news source reported on a pharmacy error involving an eight-year-old girl’s medication. Evidently, the girl suffered from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Hemochromatosis, which caused her to experience severe pain in her joints. The girl’s physician prescribed her a 50 mg dose of Celecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to treat acute pain related to arthritis and similar conditions.
The girl took the medication without incident for a few months; however, earlier this year, when her father went to pick up the prescription, he was provided 200 mg pills. Not noticing the error, the girl’s father gave his daughter the medication. Not long after taking the first dose, she told her father that her stomach was hurting. Given the pain his daughter regularly experiences, the girl’s father was surprised to hear the girl complaining of a stomach ache, so he took her to the doctor.
The doctor discovered that there was an issue with the girl’s liver, which was characteristic for patients taking Celecoxib. However, the father was concerned because his daughter had never experienced stomach pain in the past, so he went back to check the pills. It was at this time that he discovered that the pills were four-times stronger than prescribed. Thankfully, the error was caught in time, and the girl is not expected to suffer any long-term damage as a result of taking the medication. Had the girl continued to take the drug, it may have permanently damaged her liver.
The state board overseeing pharmacists told reporters that while pharmacy errors do occur on occasion, they are “rare and small in percentage,” with only five to ten errors being reported each year in that state. The board also advised patients to ask pharmacists questions about their mediation and to double-check the label and the pills to make sure everything is correct. The girl and her family are still in talks with the pharmacy’s claims representative, and no lawsuit has been filed at this point.
Have You Suffered as a Result of a Pharmacist’s Mistake?
If you have suffered because of a pharmacist’s error, contact the dedicated Maryland personal injury lawyers at Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC. At Lebowitz & Mzhen, we help the victims of Maryland pharmacy errors obtain fair compensation for their injuries. Our Maryland personal injury law firm has been assisting clients with their cases for over 20 years, and knows what it takes to succeed on our clients’ behalf. We handle cases across Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. To learn more about how we can help you with your situation, call 410-654-3600 to schedule a free consultation today.