The Dangers of Mislabeling a Prescription Bottle

Pharmacy errors are unfortunately one of the most common forms of malpractice that is committed here in the United States. Every year, over one million US people are injured from a dangerous pharmacy error, and close to 100,000 more die from these tragic mistakes. When pharmacists mislabel prescription bottles with the wrong dosages, their patients run the risks of overdosing or suffering from unreasonable delays in treatment.

Overdosing

One of the largest threats an improperly labeled prescription bottle poses to its patient is that of overdosing. If the patient is instructed to take too much medication in a single dosing or day, then he or she may suffer serious consequences such as:

• Organ damage
• Shortness of breath
• Dangerous change in heart rate or blood pressure
• Coma
• Bloody vomit or diarrhea
• Death

Overdosing is a method that some people choose to use in order to cause themselves harm or even death. An erroneous overdose, therefore, could have the same devastating consequences of serious injury or death.

Unnecessary Delay in Treatment

If the patient is mistakenly instructed to take too small a dosage of medication, then his or her condition may not be properly or effectively treated. In these cases, the patient may experience an unnecessary delay in treatment. If the condition is aggressive and life-threatening, then such an error could make the difference between successfully battling the illness and failing to adequately treat it, which can result in death.

Contact Us

If you have suffered injury, illness, or disability as the result of a mislabeled prescription medication, then you may have the right to claim damages. The Washington medical malpractice lawyers of Fuller & Fuller can help you assess your situation and assert your rights. Contact us today by calling 1-800-570-4878.