Pharmacy error in both the local neighborhood stores and hospital setting is on the rise. The consequences of Pharmacy errors can range from harmless to fatal. More than 100,000 Americans die each year of adverse drug reactions, according to an article in the Journal of The American Medical Association. No one knows for sure how many of those deaths are the direct result of pharmacy/pharmacist’s negligence, but we do know that the leading cause for prescription mistake is overworked pharmacists.
Many pharmacies fill over 300 prescriptions a day and some pharmacists are being asked to fill 30 prescriptions an hour and work 12 hour shifts, sometimes back to back. This means that within two minutes the pharmacist must: fill the prescription, check for drug interactions, check for contraindications for use and counsel the patient. It’s no wonder mistakes are being made.
Tips to help you avoid being a victim of pharmacy/pharmacist’s negligence:
Don’t be in a hurry
Open your prescription in the pharmacy
Ask questions
Don’t assume everything is alright
Be your own advocate or have someone you trust assist you
Slow down, compare and
Search the internet
By law pharmacists are required to provide counseling on all prescriptions dispensed by them.
For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Medical Malpractice and Negligent Care.
recently named in the 2009 edition of Best Lawyer's In America, David Mittleman has been representing seriously injured people since 1985. A partner with Church Wyble PC—a division of Grewal Law PLLC—Mr. Mittleman and his partners focus on medical malpractice, wrongful death, car accidents, slip and falls, nursing home injury, pharmacy/pharmacist negligence and disability claims.
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