From nausea and headaches to the possibility of death, medication errors are serious and can cause harm and injuries in many ways. Unfortunately, the occurrence of pharmacy related errors and mistakes are only growing.
In letters that have been sent to various state regulatory boards, there are some pharmacists at large chains like Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS that have described chaotic and understaffed workplaces where it has become difficult to do their job safely without putting the public at risk due to medication errors.
These pharmacists are struggling to give flu shots, fill prescriptions, work the register, answer phones, call insurance companies and doctors, counsel patients and more, all while trying to meet the corporate performance standards that have been labeled as “unsafe and unreasonable” in the industry.
The problem is the distribution of as many pills and prescriptions possible is in the best interests of the company’s financial situation. While these issues seem serious enough to dictate attention from state and federal regulating organizations, the fact is it’s extremely challenging for pharmacy boards on the state level to oversee this industry, but sometimes they allow a representative from the company to hold seats. For example, the nine-member board of Florida, for example, includes CVS’s lawyer and Walgreen’s director of pharmacy affairs.
Unfortunately, pharmacists and others working in the large chain pharmacies are afraid to speak up believing they will likely lose their job. This means there’s no one reporting the issues, which means there is no one to take action because they still remain unaware.
The Shocking Statistics about Medication Errors
According to information from the AMA (American Medical Association), over 100K people in the U.S. die annually because of negative reactions to their medications. What this means is that adverse drug reactions due to medication issues are one of the six main causes of death all across the nation.
While it is not possible to determine how many deaths are the result of mistakes made when the medication is dispensed, observers believe that mistakes at the pharmacy level play a role in this. The worst part about these incidents is that many of these are able to be prevented.
Filing a Prescription Drug Lawsuit
Unsafe pharmacy practices can lead to minor or even fatal results. The truth is that pharmacy mistakes impact a large number of Americans each year. One way you can fight back if you find yourself in this situation is by falling a prescription drug lawsuit.
While it depends on your situation, there are several parties that may be responsible for the occurrence of pharmacy errors. This includes the following:
- The pharmacy: If you are hurt by a medication the pharmacy may be considered responsible for dangerous practices.
- The individual pharmacist: If the pharmacist did not carry out their job with the proper level of care, they can be held responsible for the damages.
It is scary to consider how common prescription and medication errors are in the state of Florida and all around the country. It is even scarier to think that the pharmacy you use regularly may be making some of the mistakes that occur.
If you have suffered an injury due to these issues, you have rights. Now is the time to contact Fetterman & Associates by calling 561-845-2510. We can review your case and help you determine if you have a case that is worth pursuing.