Question 1

Where To Report Pharmacy Errors?

Accepted Answer

Depending on what the pharmacy error is, you can either report the error to the pharmacy, itself, or to the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy. In many instances, it may be important to report the error to both entities to ensure the problem is acknowledged and dealt with properly.

Question 2

How Often Do Medication Errors Occur?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, medication errors happen quite frequently. Many times it starts with the doctor ordering the wrong prescription. Perhaps it is too dangerous because of a potential drug-drug interaction, or maybe it is too dangerous for the patient because of his or her health problems. It is the doctor’s responsibility to properly assess the patient and to choose the safest medication. There can also be errors at the pharmacy because the pharmacist does not know the patient like the treating doctor does. The pharmacy’s computer system may or may not indicate a potential dangerous medication for each particular patient. With these possible errors, and the millions of prescriptions being written each day, the errors are frequent.

Question 3

How Do Pharmacy Errors Commonly Occur?

Accepted Answer

Most commonly, pharmacy errors occur when the pharmacy fills either the wrong prescription for a patient or fills the correct medicine but with the wrong dosage. These errors can be particularly devastating because not only is the person getting the wrong medicine to treat his/her condition, but a dosage that is too high can result in significant cardiac or other injuries.

Question 4

What Is The Time Limit For Filing A Pharmacy Error Lawsuit?

Accepted Answer

For almost every pharmacy malpractice case, the person has 2 years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit. It may be 2 years from the date the prescription was filled, but more often than not, it takes days, weeks, or even months for the error to become known. If the pharmacy happens to be run by the state/county/city, then you have 6 months to file a notice of claim from when you knew or should have known of the facts that would put you on notice to investigate the cause.

Question 5

Who Is Responsible For Medication Errors?

Accepted Answer

In the pharmacy, itself, the pharmacist and/or technician are usually the ones responsible for a medication error. There is also the likelihood that the physician who ordered the medication is responsible for failing to choose the correct drug for this particular patient.

Question 6

Why Do I Need A Pharmacy Error Attorney?

Accepted Answer

Pharmacy malpractice cases can be very complicated. There are many systems in place that the average customer is completely unaware of. The cases are also complicated by complex pharmacology issues, meaning how the drugs interact with each other to create the potential issue. An experienced pharmacy malpractice lawyer is needed to help you navigate these difficult cases.

Question 7

Can I Sue A Pharmacy For Wrong Dosage?

Accepted Answer

The simple answer is yes, but it is not that straightforward. If the pharmacy fills a medication for you at the wrong dosage, that is negligent. To file a lawsuit, though, you also have to prove what injuries or damages were caused by that negligence. If the error did not actually cause any problems, or if they injuries were very minimal, then either there cannot be a lawsuit or it would be too difficult to prove for you. If, on the other hand, the injuries are severe, then a malpractice case can be filed.

Question 8

Why Do Medication Errors Occur?

Accepted Answer

Medication errors most often occur because the people involved do not take the appropriate time to ensure the patient’s safety. The doctor prescribing or ordering the drug goes too fast and orders the wrong drug for his or her patient. The pharmacy then has thousands of prescriptions to fill and doesn’t take the necessary time to perform safety checks. All of these potential issues lead to the common occurrence of medication errors and pharmacy malpractice.

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