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Types of Errors

Dangerous and Defective Drugs If you put your trust in a pharmaceutical company and were hurt by their product, you deserve compensation for your suffering.
Wrong Medication Did you receive the wrong medication or incorrect prescription from a pharmacy? If you have suffered because of a medication error please call us for a free case review.
Wrong Dosage Common forms of medication error: incorrect dosage error. Order our free book to learn how to protect yourself and your family from wrong dosage errors.
Other Errors Order our free book, "How to Make Pharmacies Pay for your Injuries Caused by Medication Errors, to learn your rights in prescription error cases.
Kids Rx Errors Order a free copy of The Top 10 Tips to Protect Your Children Against Pharmacy Errors. If you have suffered a prescription error contact our firm today.
Pharmacy Malpractice If you have suffered an injury because a pharmacy dispensed the wrong medication or made an error with your prescription, you are able to file a claim for negligence or malpractice and receive the compensation you deserve.
Walgreens Pharmacy Error Claims There have been numerous claims brought against Walgreens for pharmacy errors or prescription errors. Order our free book to learn how to take action.
CVS Pharmacy Error Claims If you've been injured because of a CVS Pharmacy prescription error, call us for help with your lawsuit at 888-526-7616.
State Pharmacy Boards If you have been severely injured because of a medication error, contact board-certified attorneys immediately to investigate your case free of charge.
Drug & Pharmacy Error Prevention Filing a pharmacy error lawsuit is the only way to make pharmacies take accountability for mistakes. Call our board certified attorneys for a free case review.
State Pharmacy Laws State laws on pharmacy malpractice. Learn the pharmacy error Statute of Limitation laws that apply to your state. Call 877-342-2020 for a free consultation.

Common Pharmacy Errors that Cause Patients Harm

David W. Hodges
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Partner at Kennedy Hodges LLP practicing pharmacy error, medical malpractice and personal injury law
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To you, the pharmacy may just be one stop you have to make on your way home. But to a pharmacist, you are one of hundreds of prescriptions filled on a daily basis. To get an idea of just how busy a pharmacy can be, a single pharmacist may fill up to 25 prescriptions in an hour. Because pharmacies are busy places and pharmacists’ workloads are heavy, mistakes with medications are bound to occur.

Gerald Gianutsos, an associate professor of pharmacology at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, told US News that it is estimated that one to five percent of prescriptions filled at pharmacies in the United States involves an error. Because pharmacy errors occur more than you realize, it is wise to know about the four common types of errors that take place, which are:

  1. Incorrect directions. According to Gianutsos, getting a prescription with the wrong directions on the label is the most common type of pharmacy error that occurs.
  2. Getting someone else’s medication. Another pharmacy mistake is when a pharmacist hands a customer a bag with their name on it but someone else’s name is on the prescription label inside the bag. Getting another customer’s prescription is a common mistake, according to Michael Cohen, president of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices
  3. Wrong medicine. Another type of mistake occurs when a pharmacist grabs the wrong drug by mistake due to a sound-alike or look-alike spelling.
  4. Incorrect dose. While it is more rare, patients can get the wrong dose of medication which can have dangerous side effects.

Because medication mistakes can happen in any of the above ways, you should know how to deal with them. First, it is always best to be alert and check your own medication before leaving the pharmacy in order to prevent a prescription error. Also, it is in your best interest to go to the same pharmacy and have a consultation with your pharmacist—even on refills.

If you or someone you love has suffered harm as a result of a prescription error, get a copy of our report, How to Make Pharmacies Pay for Injuries Caused by Medication Errors.

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