Dosage Errors

While some aspects of health care allow for a broad range of remedies, treating people with medication is usually a precise science. As such, if a doctor prescribes a patient medicine, the pharmacist disbursing the drug must provide the patient with the correct dosage. However, pharmacists are not immune to dosage errors, and, in some cases, they will give a person the wrong amount of medication. People who are given too much or too little medication may suffer severe impairments, and pharmacists that carelessly harm others should be held accountable. If you were hurt by a dosage error, you might have a viable claim for damages, and you should speak to a lawyer. The seasoned Baltimore pharmacy malpractice attorneys of Arfaa Law Group can apprise you of your options and help you to seek the full amount of compensation available from the pharmacist responsible for your losses.

Dosage errors can occur when a pharmacist misinterprets a doctor’s prescription and fails to notice that the dosage provided is atypical. A mistake can also happen in the transmission of the prescription from the doctor to the pharmacy, either due to an issue with the transcription or the technology used to submit the order. In some instances, the pharmacist will read a prescription accurately but will merely make a mistake and select the wrong dosage when filing it.

Dosage errors can cause a variety of issues. If too little medication is provided, the patient’s illness or condition may progress, which can lead to issues such as stroke, heart attack, seizures, and a variety of other ailments. If too high of a dosage is provided, it can lead to similar consequences and may also lead to bleeding issues, coma, and unintentional overdoses.

Pharmacists have a duty to provide people with the correct dosage of a prescribed medication, and when they do not, it can lead to significant health concerns. People hurt by a pharmacist’s dosage error can often pursue claims against them in malpractice lawsuits. Usually, in such a case, the plaintiff will argue that the defendant was negligent.

In the framework of a malpractice case, a plaintiff alleging the defendant was negligent must prove that the defendant failed to act in compliance with his or her professional obligations. In other words, the plaintiff has to establish that the defendant had a duty to act in alignment with the standard of care, which is the care that a reasonable pharmacist would use when faced with a similar situation. The plaintiff then has to demonstrate that the defendant breached the standard in some way and that the breach ultimately caused the plaintiff to suffer actual harm. While the defendant’s actions do not have to be the sole factor that caused the plaintiff’s harm, they must be a significant force in bringing them about.

Experts are a critical part of proving liability in malpractice cases. Generally, a plaintiff will retain an expert with similar background and training as the defendant to establish the applicable standard of care and to opine that the defendant’s acts or omissions demonstrate a departure from the standard. Expert testimony can be used to establish damages as well, such as the costs of any past medical treatment the plaintiff needed or treatment that will be needed in the future, lost wages and loss of earnings, and the permanency of the harm caused by the defendant’s carelessness.

Dosage errors can cause grave harm, and, typically, they only arise when pharmacists fail to perform their duties carefully. If you sustained injuries because you were given the wrong dosage of a medication, you should meet with a lawyer to discuss your potential claims. The attorneys of Arfaa Law Group have ample experience fighting to hold reckless pharmacists responsible for the harm they cause, and if we represent you, we will advocate assertively on your behalf. We frequently assist people in Baltimore, where we have an office. You can reach us through our online form or at (410) 889-1850 to set up a meeting.