I’m very sorry to hear about your issue with your prescription. Pharmacists and the services they provide are critical. They are responsible for filling prescriptions from doctors as well as keeping track of all of the medications their patients take to ensure there are no potential conflicts between drugs. If pharmacists fail in their duties to patients and an injury results, the injured patient should speak with a pharmaceutical malpractice attorney.
It’s been estimated that about 1.5 million adverse drug events that are preventable occur in the U.S. each year. Many of those events are attributable to errors made by pharmacists. These errors can be considered pharmaceutical malpractice, which is when a pharmacist fills a prescription with the wrong medication or an incorrect dosage.
Prescription medication use in the U.S. is at a high. It’s been estimated that about 80 percent of Americans take at least one prescription medication about a quarter of all Americans take five or more. Because of so many patients using multiple medications, there is a high risk of potential danger if the drugs are not given in the correct dosage or do not have the proper instructions.
Pharmacists have a duty to use a high degree of care in administering medications to patients. When they fail in that duty, serious harm can result. Some examples of common pharmacy errors include giving the wrong medications or the wrong dosages, failing to warn of side effects, filling multiple prescriptions that could adversely react together, and failing to give the correct instructions regarding the use of a drug.
If you have suffered an injury that is related to a suspected error by a pharmacist or a pharmacy in Los Angeles, you should speak with an attorney. Call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles personal injury attorney at 310-385-0567. I can help. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation on your case.