Pharmacy Malpractice

Medication errors remain a critical concern in the U.S., affecting approximately 1.3 million people each year and resulting in at least one death per day. Estimates suggest that between 7,000 to 9,000 Americans die annually due to these preventable mistakes, while hundreds of thousands of other patients experience an adverse reaction or other serious medication complications.

The financial impact is equally alarming. While earlier data placed the cost at over $20 billion annually, more recent analyses estimate that the total cost of drug-related morbidity and mortality may reach as high as $528 billion per year. You or your loved ones could be a victim of these staggering statistics, and you need to consult with a medication errors lawyer as soon as possible to understand your rights.

To further understand what pharmacy malpractice is, we recommend seeking professional advice from a pharmacy lawyer. Pharmacists and other healthcare professionals are human and do make mistakes, but not all mistakes rise to the level of malpractice. However, we do hold all medical professionals to a high standard. When they do not meet the standard accepted by reasonably prudent medical professionals in their practice area and their action or lack of action causes injury, they can be held liable for malpractice.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines a medication error as “any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the healthcare professional, patient, or consumer.” Medication errors can occur in a variety of settings. When a licensed pharmacist or anyone else in the chain of care causes or contributes to a medication error that leads to a patient being injured, they may be held legally liable for the damages suffered by the victim.