Attorney
When you are facing an illness, injury, or long-term condition, you rely on your healthcare providers to be staunch allies who will unerringly provide you with the right treatment. If negligence leads to mistakes behind the pharmacy counter, though, you need to know what to do if the pharmacy gives you the wrong dosage.Â
Studies show that 7,000 to 9,000 people die in the United States each year due to medication errors. At Koonz, McKenney, Johnson & DePaolis, LLP, we help people across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., fight for the compensation they deserve when medical negligence exposes them to such blatant life-threatening risks.
Your Attorney Can Advise You on What To Do if a Pharmacy Gives the Wrong Dosage
It’s important to contact a Washington, D.C., personal injury attorney if the pharmacy gives you the wrong dosage. These types of prescription errors can constitute medical malpractice and have the potential to cause real harm to you as a patient. When medical professionals exhibit such negligence that might result in serious injury or even death, you have the right to pursue legal action.
Our team at Koonz, McKenney, Johnson & DePaolis, LLP can advise you on what to do if the pharmacy gives the wrong dosage. We further support your personal injury case by:
- Investigating the cause of the prescription error
- Collecting evidence to establish who is at fault
- Handling any or all paperwork while you focus on recovery
- Negotiating with the pharmacy’s insurance company on your behalf
- Representing you in court if you decide to sue
We don’t charge for an initial consultation and only expect a fee when we succeed at obtaining compensation for your damages. Our goal is to provide support first and foremost and will strive to provide any guidance you need throughout the claims process.
Seek Medical Attention if You Took the Wrong Dosage
If you notice ahead of time that the pharmacy provided you with the incorrect dosage, you can, fortunately, contact the pharmacy to correct the mistake before you unknowingly take a dangerous amount of medication. Keep in mind that filing a claim or lawsuit for the pharmacy’s negligence may still be an option even if you do not sustain an actual injury due to the mistake.
However, if you do ingest the wrong dosage of medication, your top priority is to seek medical attention. Even if you do not immediately notice any pain, worsening conditions, or other symptoms, there are possible harmful effects of taking an incorrect medicinal dose that may not be apparent until it is too late.
Keep calm as you decide what to do if the pharmacy gives the wrong dosage and contact the doctor who originally prescribed the medication for further instructions.
Know the Signs of a Wrong Dosage Injury
It’s often the case that a patient will not realize they received the wrong dosage from the pharmacy until they start feeling the effects of taking too much or too little medicine. These symptoms might include:
- Nausea or migraines
- Drowsiness or fatigue
- Rapid heartbeat
- Dramatic body temperature shifts
Ultimately, keep in mind that any unusual conditions or sensations could be an indication of problems when taking medication. Consider contacting your doctor if you think there might be any cause for concern regarding your prescription, no matter how small.
Take the Right Steps To Secure Compensation
Once you confirm your well-being, the next step is grasping the legal side of what to do if the pharmacy gives the wrong dosage. This may entail more than contacting your attorney and filing a claim; there are also certain actions you can take to help ensure you get the maximum amount of compensation available to you.
Simple steps you can take to document the situation include recording:
- The date you noticed the mistake
- How long you were taking the wrong dosage
- Who you reported the mistake to
- The pharmacy’s response to the mistake
- A statement on the cause of the mistake, if possible to obtain
It’s also in your best interest to not throw away the prescription bottle after you notice an error printed on it, as this can serve as valuable evidence in your case. Photograph the bottle and its label as an extra precaution.
Protect Yourself From Future Wrong Dosage Errors
Pharmaceutical errors are potentially dangerous events that generally occur due to carelessness in the healthcare space. That is to say, they should never occur in the first place.
The unfortunate truth, though, is that you may encounter wrong dosage errors more than once in your lifetime. While you might find yourself anxiously wondering what to do if the pharmacy gives you the wrong dosage the first time it happens, you can at least use the incident as a chance to learn how to protect yourself from similar mistakes in the future.
Protecting yourself starts with always examining your medication when you pick it up at the pharmacy. If you have any questions or concerns, address them with the pharmacist before you even leave the building. Read over the label and check that the dosage you received actually matches the prescription written by your doctor and that the pills within the container match the prescription as well.
There is no such thing as being too careful when it comes to your medications, so do not hesitate to receive counseling from the pharmacist before signing off on receiving your prescription.
Call the Attorneys Who Know What To Do if the Pharmacy Gives You the Wrong Dosage
You clearly have the right to seek compensation when a pharmacy is guilty of medical malpractice. However, every case is different and will have unique factors at play based on the nature of your prescription and existing medical conditions.
At Koonz, McKenney, Johnson & DePaolis, LLP, we handle the burden of navigating your personal injury case so you don’t have to worry about what to do if the pharmacy gives the wrong dosage while you recover from the aftermath. Contact us today for a free consultation.