Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog
According to reports, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) receives approximately 100,000 medication error reports annually. In 2010, the FDA received only 16,689, but by 2018, the agency was receiving more than 100,000 reports per year. Experts point out that medication error reports are submitted on a voluntary basis, meaning that true medication errors are likely even higher.
Are Pharmacy Errors Underreported?
Dr. Randall Tackett, a clinical and administrative pharmacy professor at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy states “What’s reported to the FDA usually only accounts for 1 to 10 percent of what actually occurs.” Dr. Tackett went on to theorize that most medication errors result from the extreme workload that pharmacists are faced with. In an effort to combat this issue, some states have implemented prescription shift limits for pharmacists, limiting them to filling 150 prescriptions per shift. A recent news report describes a pharmacy error.
The Cost of Medication Errors
According to a recent news report a woman that was prescribed oxycodone received Adderall instead from her local pharmacy. Gradine Hector-Faison, a 51-year-old woman was prescribed oxycodone by her doctor for a bad ankle sprain. She picked up her medication from the local CVS pharmacy and began taking the pills to help with the pain. Unfortunately, she said, “It didn’t ease the pain but I was wide awake.” She waited about six hours before taking another to help with the pain, but it never lessened.
After taking the medication and not receiving any relief, she called her daughter-in-law, who discovered that the medication was not oxycodone, but Adderall instead. While oxycodone is an opioid, frequently categorized as a downer and used as a painkiller, Adderall is an amphetamine, frequently categorized as an upper and used to address issues such as ADHD. Both are schedule 2 drugs. Despite immediately calling CVS, she was met with a lack of urgency, claiming that the local pharmacy and the corporate office gave her the “runaround.”
A CVS spokesperson stated that the company is investigating the incident to determine how the medication was mixed up to ensure that it does not happen again. The spokesperson stated that “Prescription errors are a very rare occurrence, but if one does happen, we do everything we can to learn from it.”
Do You Need a Maryland Pharmacy Error Attorney?
If you or someone you love has been injured or killed by a pharmacy or medication error in the Prince George’s, Baltimore, Charles, or Montgomery County region, let the attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen help you recover the damages you deserve. Expenses and injuries from pharmacy errors can quickly become overwhelming, and having an experienced team of lawyers by your side can make all the difference. Our attorneys have successfully represented injury victims at every stage of the process, ensuring that they obtain the proper damages. With our team, you can have faith that your claim is being pursued properly. If you have questions about your case, call us today at 800-654-1949 and schedule a free and no-obligation initial consultation with a Maryland injury lawyer at our office.