When Are Pharmacists Liable for Your Medical Injuries?

When Pharmacists Are Liable for Injuries

Each year, roughly 1.5 million people suffer from medical errors. Though the majority of medical malpractice cases are filed against doctors, there can be some situations where a pharmacist is at fault. If you're dealing with an injury after incorrect medical usage, it's helpful to understand the situations that can lead to a pharmacist lawsuit.

Giving the Patient the Wrong Medication

One of the most egregious forms of pharmacist liability is medication mix-ups. This happens when a patient ends up with medication their doctor didn't prescribe, and it can be very dangerous. A common cause for a pharmacist lawsuit happens when they give a patient medicine meant for someone else. If the patient doesn't notice the incorrect label, they can get quite sick. It can be even harder to identify the issue if the pharmacist didn't just mix up two medicine bottles. Many pharmacists are also responsible for creating pills and filling bottles. This can lead to all sorts of mistakes when the prescription is being filled, and the pharmacist is almost always liable for these incidents.

Making Dosage Mistakes When Filling Prescriptions

Pharmacists are supposed to ensure that patients get a safe and effective dose of medication. If they make a dosage mistake, they risk getting sued by a victim who is represented by a Allentown personal injury lawyer. In some cases, the dosage issue can be a problem like filling a bottle with 10-milligram pills when they were supposed to be five-milligram pills. Another dangerous issue occurs when a pharmacist doesn't follow the correct refilling schedule. If they fail to give a patient medicine on time or give them too much over a short period of time, the patient's health can suffer.

Failing to Provide the Patient With Proper Instructions

Part of a pharmacist's role is informing the patient about their medication. At the very least, they need to include a printed list of instructions and direct the patient to read it. A good pharmacist may even go a step further and explain to the patient the importance of following these instructions. Patients also need to be fully informed about side effects, so they can decide whether they want to risk taking the medication. Unfortunately, when a pharmacist is busy or distracted, they may forget to do this. Not printing instructions with the medication or not answering the patient's request for information can be negligence. A pharmacist who behaves like this can be liable if the patient suffers from unexpected side effects or gets sick after taking the medication incorrectly.

Providing Prescriptions That Interact Poorly Together

Pharmacists are supposed to be the last line of defense against malpractice. Part of their job is ensuring that the prescriptions a patient fills are all safe to take together. This is important because a pharmacist may catch things that a doctor does not. Whether a patient misled their doctor or failed to mention a former prescription, a pharmacist can help identify dangerous medication interactions. For example, a pharmacist should know not to give the same patient a prescription for ED medication and vasodilator medications because these can cause fatally low blood pressure when taken together. Pharmacists may also be liable if a patient comes in with multiple addictive painkiller prescriptions from different doctors and the pharmacist provides them with the drugs. To avoid liability, pharmacists always need to keep an eye out for these sorts of issues and confirm the prescription with the doctor before filling it. If you suspect that a pharmacist contributed to your harm, it's important to talk to an Allentown personal injury lawyer. At Metzger & Kleiner, we have plenty of experience handling medical malpractice lawsuits. Our team can help determine whether a pharmacist might be liable and assist you with filing a lawsuit against them. To schedule an appointment, call our Lehigh Valley office at 610-435-7400 or dial 215-567-6616 to reach our Philadelphia office. You can also contact us by filling out our website form.