Pharmaceutical Errors
One of the most terrifying errors than can occur in the medical realm is a pharmaceutical mistake. This form of malpractice is shockingly common; every year in the United States, 1.3 million people are harmed by pharmacy errors. That number aside, approximately another 7000 victims are killed by these terrible blunders. As a patient, it is important to be aware of why these accidents happen and the steps you can take to avoid them.
Why do pharmaceutical errors happen?
There are a number of reasons why pharmacy errors occur. Any of the following may be contributing factors to these potentially deadly mistakes:
- Miscommunications between doctor and pharmacist
- Undertrained pharmacy technicians
- Understaffed pharmacy
- Misreading/misprinting labels
- Dosage miscalculations
- Doctor error
- Time or job related stress and fatigue
- Negligently mixing up similar drugs
As a patient, watch for pharmacies that appear to be overloaded with customers; it is more likely that the more flustered pharmacists on duty will make a negligent error because of time crunches or fatigue. Check your labels with the prescription to ensure that you have been given the right medication and dosage instructions.
If you have any questions, it is always better to double check with the pharmacist and / or your doctor to ensure that a mistake has not been made.
Contact Us
If you or someone you love has been hurt by a pharmaceutical error, then you may have the right to claim compensation from the party responsible for your injuries. Contact the Washington medical malpractice lawyers of Fuller & Fuller today at 800-570-4878 to learn more about your legal options in this situation.