If a pharmacy messes up my prescription, do I have a personal injury case?
Pharmacy errors occur when a pharmacist fills your prescription incorrectly by giving you the wrong medication or dosage. It may surprise you to know that such mistakes happen all the time. In fact, over 1.5 million people are injured and 100,000 people die every year from adverse drug reactions.
Not all of those injuries happen because of pharmacies. Many medication errors occur in hospitals, long-term care facilities, or under a doctor’s supervision.
But as pharmacists tend to be overworked and handle a huge number of orders every day, mistakes – sometimes fatal – do happen.
If You’ve Been Injured By a Pharmacy Error
If a pharmacy gives you the wrong prescription or dosage and you suffer an injury as a result, you may have a personal injury case. A medical malpractice lawyer Memphis, TN residents count on should be honest, experienced, and determined to fight for you every step of the way.
Injuries from pharmacy errors are rather common, because not only do you run the risk of adverse side effects from taking the wrong drug; you also risk health problems from failing to take the correct drug that you needed in the first place.
If you were injured by a pharmacy’s error, the best way to move forward is to contact an experienced prescription injury attorney who will investigate your case. Our personal injury attorneys never get paid unless you receive compensation, so money doesn’t have to be a factor in deciding whether to get in touch with a lawyer.
When Pharmacy Errors Frustrate But Don’t Injure
If you were not injured by the error, it can still frighten and anger you to find out the mistake occurred in the first place.
You should make a record of what happened (write it down, take a photograph, etc), just in case you notice any adverse effects later. Then make sure to file a complaint with the pharmacy about the mistake. If you took some of the medication, keep the container for your records.
If possible, try to find out what caused the error. Was your name similar to someone else’s? Did the doctor use poor handwriting? Figuring out the cause can help you prevent it in the future.
Prescription Drug Safety – Protect Yourself from Pharmacy Errors
When considering new medications, stay apprised of drug recalls from the FDA. We keep a running list on our website. Make sure to communicate with your doctor about the drug so that you know it’s name and what it should look like before you ever arrive at the pharmacy. Feel free to ask questions of your pharmacist. If they look busy or act annoyed, consider changing pharmacies if possible. You want a pharmacist you can trust will look out for you when you have concerns.
We have a lot more tips for protecting yourself from injury in our article on prescription drug safety.
The best thing you can do to protect yourself from pharmacy error is to be informed about your health care and any prescription medications you use. But if the worst does happen and you or a loved one are injured by a drug error, contact our personal injury attorneys and discuss your options for free.