Preventing Pharmacy Errors: Tips to Ensure Medicine Safety

Stethoscope and pills
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Pharmacy errors can be lethal. Make sure you are taking the right medicine and the proper amount.

Wrong Doses are a Safety Threat

Incorrect doses, the wrong time interval, and inaccurate drug labels are frequent problems in the prescription drug industry. These errors can lead to significant health problems, including fatalities. For instance, someone with high blood pressure may be in grave danger if he or she takes the wrong blood thinner. With so many different medicine types, it is not surprising that pharmacists occasionally fill the wrong prescription or list incorrect dosage amounts. Up to 25% of all medication errors are a result of name confusion, and 33% of medication errors are attributed to packaging and labeling mistakes.

Tips to Ensure Medicine Safety

Doctors and pharmacists are humans. They make mistakes. Follow these safety tips to ensure you are taking the right medication.

  • Write down how often you are supposed to take the medicine, the drug name, and prescription strength while you are at the doctor’s office. You should check your notes with the prescription bottle to ensure accuracy.

  • Ask your pharmacist for more information about your medication. Medical professionals want to help. Pharmacists will gladly double check your prescription and explain how and when to take your medicine.

  • Call your doctor immediately if you believe you have the wrong medicine or you are experiencing unexpected side effects. Quick action is essential to prevent lasting injury.

  • Keep your empty prescription. Use the information on the bottle to make sure your refill is accurate.

Our Experienced Pharmacy Error Attorneys Can Help

Increased medical bills, pain, and other damages are common if you are given the wrong medication or have been injured by other pharmacy negligence. An experienced lawyer can help you recover when a medical professional makes a mistake and you suffer injury. Thorp Law has extensive experience fighting for victims of prescription medicine errors. If you believe you have been harmed by a pharmacy error, call Thorp Law attorney now.