(845) 802-0047Approximately 1.3 million people are injured every year because of medication errors. Since pharmacists are primarily responsible for ensuring people receive the proper medications, it is important for Hudson Valley residents to understand pharmacy negligence and liability. As medical professionals, pharmacists are expected to follow appropriate standards of care.
Pharmacy negligence occurs when a pharmacist breaches these professional standards and causes injury to someone as a result. If you or someone you love sustained injuries due to a pharmacist’s negligence, a Hudson Valley pharmacy negligence lawyer could carefully evaluate your case. Let a capable medical malpractice attorney help you recover for your injuries and losses.
What is the Impact of Pharmaceutical Errors in Hudson Valley?
Pharmacists and pharmacies serve an important function in the healthcare field. Pharmacists help ensure that patients receive the proper medications, that the dosages are appropriate, and that a prescribed medication will not negatively interact with another medication.
Pharmaceutical errors can be more difficult to identify as compared to surgical errors or other forms of medical malpractice. However, given the strength and effects of certain medications, pharmacy negligence can cause serious and life-long injuries and even death. Pharmaceutical errors can be made by anyone involved in ordering, filling, and dispensing medications.
Dosage Errors and Improper Medication
Dosage errors involve providing a patient with too much or too little of a medication. An over-dosage of a medication can cause a patient to suffer adverse side effects. Conversely, an under-dosage of a medication can mean a patient’s underlying condition is not fully treated and can cause a condition to progress or reoccur.
In some instances, a pharmacy may be considered negligent if they provide the wrong medication to a patient. Pharmacies may make a mistake filling a medication because of a doctor’s handwriting, or because they confuse one medication with another. However, it is also important to consider whether the doctor improperly prescribed a medication. For more information, get in contact with a knowledgeable Hudson Valley pharmacy negligence lawyer today.
Errors instructing patients on how to take their medication also constitute negligence. Pharmacies are required to instruct patients on how to take a medication, to warn them of any adverse side-effects, and to address any concerns a patient has regarding their medication. Failure to do so may constitute pharmacy negligence.
Exploring the Causes and Circumstances of Pharmacy Negligence
Many pharmacy negligence cases could be avoided if pharmacists and pharmacies utilized the proper precautions and followed established procedures for filling and dispensing medications. In any pharmacy negligence case, it is important to thoroughly examine the cause of an error in order to establish liability.
How Could Understaffing Lead to Injury?
Pharmacy negligence can often be traced back to understaffing. Without the proper number of staff, a pharmacist may make a careless error in dispensing or filling a medication. Furthermore, many pharmacies rely on students and interns who are prone to mistakes borne from inexperience. However, licensed pharmacists are required to supervise students and interns to ensure that they are meeting professional standards.
Mislabeled Medications
Finally, one of the leading causes of pharmacy errors can be attributed to mislabeling medications. Because many medications look very similar to each other it is therefore easy for a pharmacist to fill the wrong medication. A Hudson Valley pharmacy negligence lawyer could help investigate the underlying causes of pharmacy negligence including some of the most common causes.
Holding Hudson Valley Pharmacies Liable for Negligence
A Hudson Valley pharmacy negligence lawyer may bring to the table extensive experience in litigating and resolving pharmacy negligence cases. If you or a loved one suffered an injury due to pharmacy negligence, contact a pharmacy negligence attorney today to start working to hold your pharmacy responsible for their errors.