Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog
Almost everyone has been to the pharmacy to fill a prescription at some point in their life. In fact, many people routinely visit the pharmacy each month to get their regular prescriptions filled for maintenance medications. Some of these frequent pharmacy customers have many different prescriptions of which the pharmacist must keep track. And in the case of some HIV patients, the varying doses of the prescribed medication adds yet another element for pharmacy staff to handle.
No matter how complex a patient’s prescription order may be, pharmacists are required to take their time with each order, ensuring that it is properly filled and labeled. In the case of some patients with complex prescription orders, like those diagnosed with HIV, this may mean a significant amount of work for the pharmacist, including fielding constant updates from a patient’s care providers about the patient’s status and current prescription requirements. With this increased workload, unfortunately, comes an increased chance that an error will be made.
HIV Patients Are Especially at Risk for Medication Errors
According to a recent article by an industry news source, a study may have come up with a way that can decrease the likelihood of medication errors in HIV patients. As with other illnesses, the transitional time between care providers is the most dangerous time for HIV patients. The premise of the study was simple: increase the amount of face-to-face contact the pharmacist has with the patient. Specifically, the pharmacist would be present at the patient’s admission to the hospital as well as each day for some defined period.
The results of the study were interesting in that medication errors were reduced by almost 75% in total. Errors involving a pharmacist administering the wrong dose of medication dropped by 90%, and errors caused by bad drug interactions decreased by 60%. The researchers note that these two types of errors are some of the most commonly seen errors in HIV patients. While the study sounds simple, time is a valuable resource for pharmacists, and it remains to be see if any retail pharmacy would be willing to implement such a time-consuming plan to reduce error rates.
Have You Been the Victim of a Pharmacist’s Negligence?
Each year, thousands of people suffer from serious medication errors that could have been prevented had the proper care been taken in filling their prescriptions. Pharmacists are busy people, but that does not excuse their negligence. If you or a loved one has recently been the victim of a pharmacist’s negligence, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. The skilled personal injury attorneys at the Maryland law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers have decades of experience representing clients in all kinds of pharmacy error lawsuits, and we know what it takes to be successful for our clients. Call 410-654-3600 today to set up a free consultation. Calling is free and will not result in any liability on your behalf unless we can help you obtain compensation.
More Blog Posts:
Pharmacists Try New Approach to Reduce Medication Errors, Focusing on Increased Communication, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, May 13, 2016.
600,000 Bottles of ADHD Medication Recalled for “Impurity”, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, April 22, 2016.