Pharmacy Errors Injure Thousands of Americans Annually

Every year in the United States, an estimated 30 million pharmacy dispensing errors occur. These types of mistakes result in an estimated 7,000 patient deaths and thousands more serious complications each year. Approximately one in every 1,000 prescriptions delivered nationwide has an error, according to the National Patient Safety Foundation, a nonprofit organization working to improve patient safety.

Some pharmacy errors are harmless and result in no injury to the patient. However, in many cases, mistakes result in the wrong medication or dosage being given to the patient. Patients have died or suffered life-threatening injuries when a pharmacy employee mistook one drug for another with a similar name, misread a physician’s handwriting, or dispensed the incorrect dosage to the patient.

Common Types of Pharmacy Errors

Many pharmacy errors are blamed on overworked pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who are under pressure as workloads become increasingly demanding. Being pressed to fill hundreds of prescriptions every day decreases the amount of time that pharmacists and their technicians devote to filling each prescription.

The most common types of pharmacy and dispensing errors include:

  • Dispensing the wrong medication
  • Dispensing the incorrect dosage
  • Failure by a pharmacist or pharmacy technician to give consumers instructions for taking the medication

Intravenous Solution Errors

Another type of pharmacy error involves the incorrect preparation and/or delivery of intravenous drugs to hospital patients. Intravenous solutions prepared at pharmacies may contain the wrong drug or incorrect dosage of the proper drug. Also, nurses and other hospital personnel may make mistakes in entering data into the computerized machines used to administer the intravenous solutions to patients, resulting in death and serious injuries.

Preventing Pharmacy Errors

Patients should make an effort to prevent pharmacy errors. By taking a few minutes to double-check your prescription, you may be able to avoid a tragic mistake.

  • Read the prescription carefully and confirm the name of the drug and the dosage with your physician.
  • Have your prescription filled at a reputable pharmacy that has not been disciplined by your state’s pharmacy licensing board.
  • When picking up your prescription at the pharmacy, take time to carefully check the packaging and ensure that the correct drug and dosage has been dispensed.
  • Ask the pharmacist if there are specific instructions for taking your medication.
  • If you are unsure about your prescription, consult with the pharmacist.

Legal Help for Victims of Pharmacy Medication Errors

If you or a loved one suffered due to a pharmacy error, you may have important legal rights. At Mark & Associates, P.C, our aggressive, dedicated personal injury attorneys will fight for the best legal outcome in your case. To consult with an attorney, contact our law firm today by completing the case submission form on this page, or by calling 1-866-50-RIGHTS (1-866-507-4448).

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