Utah Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Can a pharmacist be sued for filling a prescription incorrrectly?

Maybe. To pursue financial compensation for a mistake your pharmacist made, you will need to prove that you suffered injury directly caused by that mistake.

In that case, the pharmacy error could be considered a form of medical malpractice.

What is a pharmacy "Misfill?"

A pharmacy misfill is a general term that can encompass a variety of pharmacy mistakes, including:

• Filling the wrong medication
• Giving a patient the wrong medication strength
• Providing incorrect information on frequency/dosage of a drug
• Selection of the wrong drug
• Giving a medication to the wrong patient

How can pharmacy errors be prevented?

Pharmacists should take several approaches to prevent pharmacy mistakes, including:

• Maintaining security and a safe dispensing environment
• Adapting standard, non-negotiable dispensing procedures
• Separating storage of medications with similar product names and/or appearances
• Keeping pharmacy workloads at reasonable levels for staff
• Finding ways to keep interruptions at bay when processing prescriptions
• Taking advantage of electronic patient records and e-prescribing systems from physicians to patients
• Developing relationships with patients and their medical histories

Are you concerned that you may be a victim of a pharmacy error? Our Utah medical malpractice attorneys at G. Eric Nielson & Associates, LLC can help answer your legal questions at 866-605-4556 (toll-free).