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Pharmacists have an essential role in patients' well-being. They fill physicians' prescriptions and keep track of all of the medications each patient takes to ensure that there are no potentially dangerous conflicts between different drugs prescribed by different doctors. But when pharmacists are negligent in this duty to consumers and an injury or fatality ensues, the pharmaceutical malpractice lawyers at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help families hold pharmacies responsible. Our Chicago-based law firm has experience with pharmacy malpractice cases across Illinois and is ready to assist you with getting the answers you deserve.
Complete our online case intake form for a free review of your Chicago pharmacy error case. Your information will be reviewed by a skilled pharmacy lawyer in Illinois who will advise you of your legal options for pursuing a lawsuit against a negligent pharmacy. Our office serves families in pharmacy error lawsuits across Illinois, and we can help you with your pharmacist malpractice case at no cost to you.
Frequency of Errors Made by Pharmacists
In the United States, about 1.5 million preventable adverse drug events occur every year, many of which are attributable to errors made by pharmacists. Pharmaceutical malpractice is when a pharmacist fills a prescription with the wrong medication or incorrect dosage. The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCCMERP) defines medication errors as preventable events that lead to patient harm.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 82% of Americans take at least one prescription medication and 29% take five or more. With so many people using these medications, frequently combining several at one time, there is a high risk of danger when these drugs are not given in the correct dosage, administered without proper instructions, or are not the prescribed drugs at all. The FDA has found that 1.3 million people are injured every year due to medication errors at pharmacies in stores, hospitals, and nursing homes.
Pharmacists' Duty to Protect the Public From Harmful or Fatal Medication Errors and Misfills
Even relatively minor deviations from a prescribed course of medication can result in patient injury or death. If you're in need of a pharmacy lawyer in Illinois, contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers: We represent individuals who have been harmed or killed due to pharmacy error.
Common Chicago pharmacy errors include:
- Failing to advise or warn of potentially dangerous drug side effects
- Dispensing the wrong medications
- Incorrectly labeling medication
- Providing an incorrect medication dosage
- Filling multiple prescriptions with known adverse reactions
- Failing to provide adequate instructions regarding use of a drug
In a study done at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, 140,755 prescription doses were monitored for errors, and 5,075 contained errors. Only 79% of these errors were caught through verification. Of the errors that were not caught, 23.5% had potential to create adverse drug reactions, 28% of them serious. In 2011, an estimated 4 billion prescriptions were written in the U.S. When this study is applied to the large number of prescriptions being filled every day, the number of drugs leaving pharmacies with errors could be staggering.
Get the Best Pharmacist Error Attorneys in Chicago, Illinois, and get Results
If you have suffered an injury related to a suspected pharmacist or pharmacy error, save the medications and packaging and contact our pharmaceutical malpractice attorneys as soon as possible. Speak with our Chicago pharmacy error lawyers and we can help you with your pharmacy error case. Our consultations with pharmaceutical malpractice attorneys are free, and there is never a charge or fee unless we recover damages for you.
Resources on Pharmacy Safety and Legal Responsibilities
