A pharmacist is a health professional whose negligence can constitute medical malpractice, just like other health professionals. For example, you can accuse your pharmacist of medical malpractice under the following circumstances:
Dispensing the Wrong Medication
It is possible for a pharmacist to dispense the wrong medication, although it is rare. In this case, you might suffer a two-fold injury. First, your initial medical condition might worsen because you won't be treating it with the right medicine. Secondly, the wrong medication may affect you adversely if it is not the kind you should be taking due to other medical conditions you have.
Dispensing the Wrong Dosage
A pharmacist may also be medically negligent if they give you the wrong dosage for a drug. The damage can particularly be serious if the dosage is several times more than the right dosage. For example, taking five tablets when you should only take one tablet can lead to serious health complications.
Dispensing the Wrong Drug Combination
Some drugs are safe when you take them separately but trigger serious health complications when combined with other drugs. For example, nasal decongestants mixed with high blood pressure medications can raise your blood pressure even higher, leading to serious health complications. It is the pharmacist's responsibility to screen your drugs, as long as you have provided them with the medication so that they don't put you on a dangerous drug combination.
Disregarding Allergy Issues
Some people are allergic to certain drugs, and having an allergic reaction when sick is not a good combination. Imagine having an allergic reaction to a drug while suffering from asthma or other respiratory ailments simultaneously. If your allergies are in your medical records, as they should be, then your pharmacist should screen out drugs that can trigger the reactions. A pharmacist who does not do this may be guilty of medical malpractice.
Failing to Mention Side Effects
Lastly, your pharmacist should disclose the side effects of your drugs. That way, you will know that it is the drugs, and not another medical issue, when the side effects start. It also gives you the opportunity to make an informed decision on whether to take the drugs or ask for alternative medication. Thus, you can accuse the pharmacist of medical malpractice if they don't disclose the side effects and you end up suffering.
As you can see, there are various ways in which a pharmacist's negligence can constitute medical malpractice. As usual with medical malpractice cases, it's best to hire a lawyer for the pharmacist injury claim or lawsuit due to the inherent complications of such cases. Contact a medical malpractice attorney like those at Shaevitz Shaevitz & Kotzamanis to learn more.
Share15 July 2019
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