When are Pharmacists Liable for Medical Malpractice?

[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]When people think of medical malpractice, they often think of holding doctors and hospitals liable for causing patients harm. Although these scenarios do form the basis of many medical malpractice claims, there are other parties who can be held liable for malpractice, as well.

Pharmacists and pharmacies are healthcare entities that can also be held accountable for paying financial compensation when they have acted negligently and patients become hurt. Below are just a few of the most common scenarios in which a pharmacist may be to blame for someone else’s injuries.

Dispensing the Wrong Dose

When a pharmacist dispenses too high of a dose to patients, the individual may suffer from an overdose. On the other hand, if a pharmacist dispenses too low of a dose, the patient may not receive the full amount of medication they need. Their condition could then become worse.

Dispensing the Wrong Medication

Pharmacists may dispense the wrong type of medication for many reasons. The most common of these are ineligible doctor handwriting, labeling errors, and improper abbreviations.

When a patient receives the wrong kind of medication, the condition they are suffering from will go untreated. Additionally, they may be allergic to the medication they are taking or the drug could interact with other medications they are also taking.

Drug Confusion

Confusing one drug for another because the two have very similar names is something the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has admitted is a big problem in the industry. Patients will suffer the same harm as above because they will take the wrong type of drug.

Failing to Warn of Interactions

Pharmacists know far more about the drugs they dispense than patients do. They must be able to identify when a patient is taking a drug that will negatively interact with another medication. They must then at least warn the patient of the danger or communicate with the patient’s doctor to find another medication that will not have a negative reaction.

Failing to Identify Allergies

Pharmacists should always ask patients about any allergies they have to medication. They should also fully review a patient’s medical history, including allergies, any time they dispense a new medication to a patient. When they fail to do so, patients can have an allergic reaction. Certain allergic reactions are very serious and some may even be fatal for a patient.

Incorrect or Incomplete Directions

Patients rely on the directions they receive with medication to make sure they are taking it properly. If these instructions are missing or incomplete, the patient could suffer real harm as a result.

Call Our Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Miami Today

At Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein, our Miami medical malpractice lawyers can help you make things right after a pharmacy error. We will review the facts of your case and determine if you can file a claim against the pharmacy, pharmacist, or both. Call us now at (786) 504-7842 or fill out our online form to request a free consultation so we can get started on your case.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]