Double Dose Dispensing Error affects Businesswoman

When our client was given medication meant for another patient by her local pharmacist it led to a wide range of worrying side effects and had an impact on her ability to run her own business.

Our client accepted a settlement of £1,500 when Pearson's medical negligence solicitors took on her case.

The client suffers from multiple sclerosis and takes a modifying medication Fingolimod to help cope with the disease.  A side effect of this can be raised blood pressure and infections so her GP also prescribed her Amlodipine and Amoxicillin.

Prescription Error

When she was given the wrong medication by the pharmacist she began to have nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, anxiety, insomnia and uterine cramps.

These symptoms persisted and she soon realised that there had been a mistake.  On investigation, it turned out our client had been given a bag of medication meant for another patient. Contained within that bag was Kliovance, a hormone replacement drug, and Doxycyline, a more powerful antibiotic.

Quite rightly she sought immediate medical advice and was seen urgently at her local hospital. Her medication was then corrected by her GP and she made sure she double checked what the pharmacist had prescribed.

“This episode left my client with ongoing anxiety and she could not work for a period of two weeks which as a business owner had a significant adverse effect, particularly in the current economic climate,” said Daniel Phelps of the Pearson medical negligence team.

Medical Negligence Claim

We managed to secure £1,500 in settlement of the medical negligence claim and this has helped somewhat to alleviate the financial losses suffered as a result of this dispensing error. In all cases when you pick up a prescription from the chemist it is always advisable to not only make sure it has your name on it, but also that what’s in the bag matches the prescription you have been issued with, all too often mistakes are made by busy pharmacists and it safer to double check.

“In this case the client, who lives in the South of England, wanted a professional and reliable medical negligence solicitor to take on her case and this was something we were able to do.  It was all conducted via email and a simple google search for prescription error solicitors led her to us and her final settlement,” added Daniel Phelps

For advice on your medical negligence issue, /individuals/clinical-negligence-solicitors/we can help straight away – prescription error cases can be tackled speedily and usually with settlements in your favour.  Call 0161 785 3500 or email enquiries@pearsonlegal.co.uk

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Please note that the information and opinions contained in this article are not intended to be comprehensive, nor to provide legal advice. No responsibility for its accuracy or correctness is assumed by Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers Ltd or any of its members or employees. Professional legal advice should be obtained before taking, or refraining from taking, any action as a result of this article.

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