Holding Pharmacists Accountable In A Florida Wrongful Death Suit
Did you know that millions of people are given the wrong medication each year by pharmacists, doctors or nurses? While some wrong medication can cause minor nausea, other incorrect medication given to patients can cause wrongful death.
Pharmacists have a serious job to do. If they do not fill a patient’s medication correctly, the patient can die as a result or suffer damaging side effects. The reason wrongful deaths occur from medication mistakes include:
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Wrong medication – many pharmacists grab medications based on what they think the prescription reads or what they think the pills look like. However, doctor’s handwriting can be hard to read, and pharmacists should confirm what the prescription is before filling it. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies change their packaging, and pharmacists should never assume they are grabbing the right medication. Instead, they need to be 100 percent sure before filling the order.
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Wrong dosages – sometimes pharmacists read the dosage incorrectly, misplace the decimal point and fill the medication with too high of dosages. Additionally, they may accidentally include the wrong medication instructions. In either case, medication overdose errors could occur, and innocent victims can die or suffer injuries as a result.
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Short staffed – when pharmacies only employ one pharmacist per four techs, they may be overworked. This can cause a pharmacist to make mistakes, which may result in dosage errors and wrong medication prescriptions being filled.
Although pharmacists do not intend to make harmful mistakes that cost innocent patients their lives, they have been known to make these fatal mistakes. Human error, such as failing to read a label correctly and mistaking one medication for another can cost people their lives, and negligent pharmacists should be held accountable for their careless actions.
If you suffered from a pharmacist’s mistake or your loved one died as a result of a medication mistake, you may have a Florida wrongful death suit against the pharmacist and the pharmacy.
Find out more about your legal rights to pursue damages from a knowledgeable South Florida wrongful death lawyer at the Law Offices of David Benenfeld. You may be entitled to non-economic and economic damages, in addition to punitive damages. Simply call 954-677-0155 for a free, no-obligation consultation today.
