Pharmacy errors are one of the leading types of medical malpractice. Mistakes in prescriptions occur far too often, and if the pharmacist does not call the prescribing physician to clarify, it can mean danger for the patient.
Pharmacy errors are avoidable. Unfortunately, if there is doubt surrounding the prescription, it can take time to get a confirmation from the physician who prescribed the medication. This leads to the pharmacist making a best guess as to what was written on the prescription. One reason they do this is to keep the patient from getting upset about the process because it is difficult to reach the physician. This, however, is not an excuse for negligence.
When pharmacy errors occur, they can pose a very real danger to the patient. In some cases, a patient can receive a medication that will cause death. Luckily, many health care professionals are taking steps to alleviate the incidence of pharmacy error. Many physicians are using electronic prescriptions so that the pharmacists will not have a problem reading what has been written.
Even with advances in the manner in which pharmacists receive prescriptions, pharmacy error can still occur. This is highly unfortunate, and those involved should be held accountable for endangering the very patients that they swore to protect.
A Minneapolis Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help
If you or someone you know has been injured because of the negligence of pharmacy error, contact the Minneapolis personal injury attorneys of Terry, Slane & Ruohonen at 612-362-0000.
