Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog
This blog has covered a number of the common causes of Maryland pharmacy errors in hopes of increasing patient awareness. One common cause of pharmacy errors that has not recently been discussed is when a patient’s prescription is filled multiple times.
Most often, these errors are the results of two different pharmacies each filling a prescription and providing it to the patient. These errors are more common in mail-order pharmacies than in retail pharmacies. More often than not, these errors involve elderly patients that are prescribed multiple medications and may have a difficult time reading or understanding the numerous directions they should follow.
Patient Dies after Taking Twice the Number of Pills That Were Prescribed by His Physician
Back in 2016, an older man died from what appeared to be a medication overdose. According to a local news report covering the tragic accident, the man was prescribed medication to control his heart, liver, and anxiety-related conditions. The medications were provided to the patient in blister packs containing 108 pills each. The patient’s prescription was supposed to include a total of four blister packs.
The patient arranged to receive his medication through the mail. As it turns out, the pharmacy that was responsible for filling the patient’s prescription transferred the prescription to another pharmacy; however, both the original pharmacy as well as the new pharmacy filled the order. Thus, the patient was sent double the medication. While the blister packs contained a “week commencing” date, the blister packs were not labeled. Additionally, the medication instructions indicating how many times per day the patient was supposed to take the pills, but did not mention how many pills to take at one time.
The patient took the medication as directed, which resulted in the patient taking double the medication he was prescribed. While the man’s death is still under investigation, his family believes that the medication overdose caused his death. The man’s family told reporters that despite the pharmacy claiming that they would cooperate with any investigation and take ownership over the accident, the family is still waiting for a written apology.
Pharmacy Error Lawsuits
When a patient is injured after being provided with the wrong medication, they may be entitled to recover for any injuries they sustained through a pharmacy error lawsuit. Pharmacy error lawsuits often present complex legal, medical, and scientific issues, and are best handled by attorneys who have specific experience in this area of the law.
Do You Need to Speak with an Attorney?
If you or a loved one has recently been the victim of a pharmacist’s negligence, you may be entitled to recover monetary compensation for the injuries you have endured. At the law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC we represent injury victims in all types of pharmacy error claims, including cases based on recalled medication. To learn how we can help you with your situation, call 410-654-3600 to schedule a free consultation today.
More Blog Posts:
Three Common Causes of Prescription Errors in Maryland and Nationwide, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, September 24, 2018.
Experts Warn Against Physicians Texting Prescriptions to Pharmacies, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, October 1, 2018.