Giving Patients Unintended Medications

Obtaining prescription medication typically requires multiple steps involving both the prescribing doctor and the pharmacy. Pharmacies fill countless prescriptions a day, and ensuring that medication is disbursed accurately is of the utmost importance. Pharmacists do not always uphold their duties, however, and the unfortunate reality is that sometimes pharmacists negligently give patients unintended medications. Taking the wrong medication may not only fail to treat the underlying condition but also cause serious harm. If you or a loved one were inappropriately given an unintended medication, you should speak with an experienced Cape Cod pharmacy negligence lawyer to discuss your options for seeking damages.

The skillful attorneys at the Law Offices of John C. Manoog, III, have assisted residents of Cape Cod in the pursuit of compensation for harm caused by pharmacy negligence for over 150 years collectively. If you sustained harm because you were given an unintended medication, we will work tirelessly to help you fight to recover the full amount of damages that you may be owed. Our capable attorneys have recovered several multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts for our clients.

A patient may be given an unintended medication by a pharmacist due to an inaccurate label on the medication. In some cases, a pharmacist may simply confuse medications and provide the patient with a medication that the patient was not prescribed. Taking an unintended medication can cause grave harm. A doctor will prescribe a patient medication to treat a certain condition, and when the correct medication is not given, the patient will continue to suffer from the condition, and sometimes the condition may worsen. Moreover, an unintended medication could negatively react with medications that the patient is taking, causing an adverse reaction. Additionally, the patient may have an allergic reaction to the medication.

If you suffered harm because a pharmacist gave you an unintended medication, you may be able to recover compensation. Damages that you may be owed include the cost of any treatment that you needed to undergo due to the effects of the unintended medication, or any treatment that you may need in the future. If you cannot work due to the harm caused by the unintended medication, you may be able to recover compensation for the loss of your earning capacity. In addition to recovering damages for your economic harm, if you experienced pain and suffering after taking an unintended medication, you may be owed additional compensation.

People should be able to rely on a pharmacy to provide them with the correct medication every time that they have a prescription filled. If a pharmacy provides the patient with an unintended medication, the pharmacy should be held accountable for any harm caused by that medication.

Under Massachusetts law, a person seeking to hold a pharmacist liable for harm caused by an unintended medication will allege that the pharmacist was negligent. To prove the negligence of a pharmacist, it must be shown that the pharmacist owed the injured party a duty of care, the duty was breached, and the breach caused the injured party’s harm. Massachusetts recognizes a professional standard of care, which means that professionals, such as pharmacists, are required to possess the skills, learning, and experience of competent people in the profession. In many pharmacy negligence cases, an expert opinion may be required to show that the pharmacist breached the professional standard of care, but in cases in which the patient is given an unintended medication, the negligence may be apparent without the testimony of an expert. An expert may be necessary to show the manner in which the unintended medication caused the person’s harm, however. A knowledgeable Cape Cod attorney can guide you as to which evidence is needed to provide you with a good chance of a favorable outcome.

When a person receives an unintended medication and suffers harm as a result, they should be able to recover compensation for their harm. At the Law Offices of John C. Manoog, III, our attorneys have a record of obtaining successful outcomes in cases in which a person was harmed by an unintended medication. Our vigorous representation has allowed us to recover substantial verdicts on behalf of our clients. We represent people throughout Cape Cod from offices in Hyannis and Plymouth. You can contact us at 888-262-6664 or via our online form to schedule a consultation.