What Are Some Common Causes of Pharmacy Errors?

Rachel Olszewski

Among the many deadly mistakes a medicinal practitioner can make, a pharmacy error is one of the most common. This is where the medicine you were prescribed and then given by a local pharmacy ends up causing you harm. There are many different types of pharmacy errors, and there are some causes of pharmacy errors that are more common than others.

Pharmacy errors can pertain to things like incorrect diagnosis, prescription errors, incorrect drug distribution, incorrect dosages, and more. But many of these errors stem from the same common causes. If you know what these causes are, you can avoid them, and if you or a loved one are the victims of a pharmacy error, you’ll be able to identify it to better defend and protect yourself.

Defending yourself isn’t enough, however. If you or a loved one have been injured by a pharmacy error, you deserve compensation. The pharmacy error attorneys at Scartelli Olszewski, P.C. can help.

Common Causes of Pharmacy Errors

Many things can lead to a pharmacy error, but there are some that happen more often than others. Pharmacy errors can be simple mistakes caused by one pharmacist or doctor’s mistake or negligent performance, while some are caused by a litany of issues where one is the main culprit. Here are the ones with the most victims:

• Illegible handwritten prescriptions: Many doctors handwrite their prescriptions. We’ve all seen the names on a bottle of medicine, you know that they are not easy to remember or distinguish, so it’s incredibly important to get them right. When a doctor’s handwriting is illegible, they are setting up pharmacies, nurses, and everyone else involved in the process to fail. When they can’t take the time to write something legible and you receive the wrong prescription, they’re liable.
• Failing to account for allergy history: Many people are allergic to different ingredients in medicines. If you have been tested for allergies, that should be on record, and your doctors need to account for that. If you have a record for allergy tests, and it’s not taken into account, you risk receiving a prescription you are allergic to. The doctor who prescribed it to you is responsible. If you have not been tested or did not release your medical info to your doctor, you would be hard-pressed to hold them responsible.
• Incomplete prescription order: Sometimes prescription orders don’t come with one, but many pills and drugs. This can happen when one drug’s side effects need to be offset by another, but if a pharmacist doesn’t fulfill this order to completion, you will suffer the effects. This can happen by mistake, misinformation, overworking, and many more.
• Failure to track and transport orders: Pharmacists don’t always have certain prescriptions or ingredients on hand. This means they have to order the prescription or its ingredients. These ingredients can get lost in transportation, or arrive late, leading to patients not getting their prescriptions in time. Our attorneys can help you determine who is legally responsible for this common cause of pharmacy errors.
• Miscommunication: As vague as this may sound, miscommunication when giving or creating a prescription is deadly. Miscommunication can be the cause of any of the previously stated causes. It can be something as simple as a doctor telling a nurse a prescription and the nurse writing down something with a similar name. A pharmacist may order the wrong ingredients or not enough for the medication. There can be a simple miscommunication between you and your doctor on your symptoms, medical history, and more. Miscommunication is a simple mistake, and it can lead to someone being seriously hurt.

Don’t Hesitate, Contact the Pharmacy Error Attorneys at Scartelli Olszewski, P.C.

A pharmacy error may be simple to cause, but the consequences are not. The wrongly prescribed drugs can lead to health problems that can make your already existing issue worse. There have been many cases where the wrong medication has led to someone’s death and manslaughter charges.

If you or a loved one have been the victim of a pharmacy error, you need to see a new medical professional immediately. It’s important to be treated, get the right prescription, and get on the mend. Also, as you are being properly treated, you should be able to learn what was wrong with the prescription you had, and we can help you figure out the causes of the pharmacy error or errors that led to your injury.

With that information and legal representation, you can receive compensation for your injury. Don’t suffer the cost of your injuries when someone else is responsible. Contact the pharmacy errors at Scartelli Olszewski, P.C. today.