Drive-Thru Danger at the Pharmacy – Florida Pharmacy Error Attorneys Lazarus and Lazarus

Florida Pharmacy Error Attorneys

If you go to the drive-thru at McDonald’s and they give you the wrong burger, it’s not the end of the world. But a mistake at the pharmacy drive-thru might cause you real pain, suffering, and perhaps even death.

Americans filled a record 5.8 billion prescriptions in 2018 — at a rate of 17.6 prescriptions per person — up 2.7% over 2017, according to a report published at Medscape.com. Depending on how many pharmacists there are actually completing all those orders, it seems reasonable to assume that mistakes will be made, and they are.

It’s important to understand that medication mistakes are made at different stages along the way after a patient is issued a prescription by a physician or a nurse practitioner in a hospital, at an office, or by phone or computer.

1. Sometimes a specific details of a prescription are improperly read by the pharmacy or pharmacist. High volumes of orders may cause employees to be overloaded and they simply push the wrong button on the computer. Imagine someone hitting an extra zero and receiving 1000 mg of a medication instead of the 100 mg intended. These types of mistakes are supposed to be caught but sometimes they aren’t.
2. Studies show that a common error at the pharmacy involves label errors. Incorrect labeling happens when the wrong label is put on a bottle of pills and it therefore goes to the wrong patient. Other common pharmacy errors include incorrect instructions to the patient on when and how often to take the medication.
3. There are instances where a patient will not read the instructions completely or there will be a failure to understand the proper time and frequency directions from the doctor. This is why we urge people to take time to speak with the pharmacist and ask questions. Always make sure your doctor and your pharmacist are aware of all medications you take, including over-the-counter products, so they cam make sure there are adverse reactions.

Having a proper consultation with your pharmacist is where the issue of “drive-through” pharmacy windows becomes an issue. It is almost impossible to have a meaningful discussion with a pharmacist through a window. People behind you may be honking and it’s just not a system designed for accurate communication.

A Very Disturbing Pharmacy Error

According to the Pharmacy Times:

The clerk handling the transaction at a drive-through window of a community pharmacy in a Southern state erroneously gave 2 prescriptions for a patient with the same last name to the spouse of a patient. The patient suffered from Alzheimer disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. The medications dispensed in error were alprazolam and sertraline. Those were administered to the patient by his wife at about 11 pm, and at 4 am, she heard him calling her name. She found him on the floor near the front door with nothing around that constituted a tripping hazard. Nothing in the area accounted for his fall.

He could not get up. An ambulance was called, and it was discovered at the emergency department that he had a broken hip, requiring emergency surgery.

If you think a mistake was made regarding prescription medication or that of a loved one, please feel free to call us and ask questions. We have been working for victims of pharmacy errors, medical malpractice, and other negligence since 1992 and we understand these situations. Let us recommend the best course of action because there is no acceptable mistake when it comes to medical care. Our number is 954-356-0006.