You trust both your pharmacist and your doctor when it comes to recommending medications that will aid in your recovery from a short-term illness or the full management of a chronic condition. If you have ever experienced severe adverse reactions to medicines, you probably informed your doctor about the sudden changes in your health status.
If you’ve experienced adverse reactions that were abnormal despite your doctor’s recommendation of continued medication use, it’s likely that negligence occurred on the pharmacy’s end.

Usually, pharmacists are thoroughly trained for the job, and every patient trusts their abilities to perform correctly. Even though stores are now using new technologies to ease their processes, errors are still being made. A pharmacist has to make sure that all aspects of the prescription are accurate, this including verifying the identity of the patient and making sure he gives the correct dosage or medication. Pharmacy malpractice happens when a pharmacist does not respect the standard of care and may damage or cause injury to the patient.
If you’ve contacted your doctor and he has reassessed your health status and verified the administration of wrong medication, there are certain actions you can take to protect your legal rights.

Pharmacy Responsibility

Pharmacists and Pharmacist Technicians are obligated by law to evaluate your medical condition thoroughly and verify the accurate prescription as well as the medication amount for your daily intake. Pharmacists should analyze your order portfolio to consider any possibilities of drug interactions that might cause severe reactions or permanent injury and inform the patient about this matter.
If these steps are overlooked, your health condition can become worse. While medication may seem harmless, these substances can cause significant injuries when administered the wrong way. Additionally, when you’re not familiar with various drugs and the possible damages you may experience, you will not know how to prove pharmacist negligence or malpractice.
Medication errors can also occur when pharmacists slack in their duty to monitor their pharmacy technicians’ actions. Pharmacy technicians can easily give wrong dosages or fail to mix a medication properly. These types of errors will not only cost the pharmacist and pharmacy technician their job and finances, but these liabilities also impact health care organizations.

Pharmacy Malpractice Lawsuit Cases

A few major pharmacy chains have been in the news spotlight during the past few years because they were involved in lawsuits that have been filed due to negligence.

When the plaintiffs decided to pursue justice, they were able to receive compensation for their injuries and other adverse reactions they experienced due to improper medication. Although concerted effort has been made in raising pharmacists’ awareness of negligence and the potential liabilities, these incidents still occur.

According to a study conducted by the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation – Board of Pharmacy, the number of pharmacy malpractice incidents that occur is significantly high.

One of the board’s statistics revealed that “Over 1.3 million people are injured each year because of medication errors. Medication errors cost more than $29 billion per year – one estimate is as high as $72 billion a year. The most shocking of these pharmacy malpractice statistics, however, is the fact that nearly 100,000 people die every year as a result of medication mistakes. Pharmacy malpractice causes more annual deaths than breast cancer, AIDS, or traffic fatalities”.

Patient damage usually relates to compensation regarding medical expenses, loss of earnings, physical disability, pain, emotional distress and extreme suffering.  In some cases, punitive damages may be applicable, which relate to monetary payments that punish the liable party.

What to Do if You’re Affected By Pharmacy Negligence

If you believe that you have been the victim of pharmacy negligence, it is important to contact a medical malpractice attorney immediately. The longer you delay in taking action toward seeking justice, the more likely a pharmacist will deny that the adverse effects of the medication did occur due to an oversight.

It is important to seek medical help so that your symptoms and test results can be thoroughly documented. A medical malpractice attorney can identify factors and assess medical records that indicate sudden changes that may be easily overlooked.

The attorneys at Law Offices of Vastola & Associates have years of experience handling medical malpractice cases. Your negligence case is important and should not be treated lightly. Since 1997, Jeff Vastola has offered legal representation to medical malpractice victims located in Florida. When you’re ready to seek the justice you deserve, you can call the North Palm Beach or Stuart, Florida location. Your case will be evaluated thoroughly to determine the underlying cause of your medication injury.

As a client, you can expect to be consistently informed about the progress of your case. If you’re seeking justice on behalf of a loved one, your case will also be handled with care. The attorneys at Law Offices of Vastola & Associates, understand the anguish you feel as a result of negligence. If you’ve lost your ability to work or your loved one was the primary financial provider, an experienced attorney will pursue compensation to cover medical bills and lost wages.

Take Action Today

Health-related malpractice is an unfortunate situation that not only affects the lives of victims, but also the lives of families because of the stress related to the process of case resolution. Although it may take some time to settle a negligence case, you can be confident that when you retain legal services from Law Offices of Vastola & Associates, your attorney will be working hard to develop a strong defense case to prove the validity of your injury claim.

If you have been injured by a pharmacy negligence, you are owed compensation for your suffering. Contact Law Offices of Vastola & Associates., to discuss your case. We will help you with assistance and consultancy throughout the entire process. We service clients in Stuart, Jupiter, West Palm Beach, and North Palm Beach, Florida.