Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog
Earlier this year in Lincoln County, Kentucky, a father filed a wrongful death suit against a local CVS pharmacy for their alleged involvement in his son’s death. According to one local news source, the lawsuit filed by the man names the CVS in Danville, Kentucky as well as several employees in the store.
Evidently, the man’s son was admitted to the hospital for a pulmonary embolism and upon his discharge was prescribed several medications by his physician. After his discharge, he went to his local CVS pharmacy and filled the prescriptions. The pharmacy gave him the wrong medication. However, since these were not prescriptions that he normally takes, it wasn’t until two days later that he noticed the medications provided by the pharmacy were not the ones prescribed by his doctor.
He was taken to the hospital by a friend of the family and entered into a fatal cardiac arrest 10 days later. The boy’s father is seeking damages for his son’s pain and suffering, death, loss of earning capacity, and medical and funeral expenses. CVS has not yet responded to or made any public comment on the lawsuit.
Medication Errors in Local Pharmacies
Pharmacists and the pharmacies that employ them are responsible for the safety of their patients when it comes to the drugs provided. While a pharmacist may not be at fault for an improperly prescribed prescription, or one that should never have been prescribed by the doctor in the first place, pharmacists are responsible when they mis-fill a valid prescription.
Given the potency of some of today’s medications, a pharmacy error can have dire consequences, ranging from a few days of missed work to sudden death. Depending on the harms suffered by the patient, an array of financial compensation packages may be available for the victims of pharmacy errors and their families.
Available Damages in Pharmacy Error Cases
As mentioned above, the boy’s father was seeking several different types of damages based on the death of his son. This is common in pharmacy error cases. Some of the types of expenses and damages that may be eligible for compensation are:
- Past medical bills;
- Future medical expenses;
- Pain and suffering;
- Loss of consortium or companionship;
- Lost wages while away from work;
- Decrease in future earning potential due to permanent limitations;
- Funeral expenses; and
- Punitive damages in appropriate cases.
Have You Been Injured by a Pharmacist’s Mistake?
If you or a loved one has recently been injured after taking a drug that was improperly provided to you by a local pharmacy or pharmacist, you may be eligible for financial compensation for one or more of the above reasons. Keep in mind, however, that pharmacies anticipate these kinds of cases and retain dedicated defense counsel to help them deflect responsibility. To learn more about pharmacy-error cases, and to speak to a dedicated attorney about your case, call 410-654-3600 today to set up a free initial consultation with a dedicated and knowledgeable pharmacy error attorney.
More Blog Posts:
CVS Pharmacy Mixes Up Prescription, Man Sent to Hospital, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, December 15, 2014.
California Costco Pharmacy Mis-Fills One Patient’s Prescription Twice in One Year, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, January 22, 2014.