You might have never considered the impact that pharmacists have on your well-being until something alarming occurs. Once your doctor prescribes medications, you rely on pharmacists to administer the proper prescription and in the correct concentration.
Even a minor oversight could have severe repercussions that impact your health. Knowing some of the common types of pharmacy malpractice can help you more effectively advocate for yourself.
Malpractice types
There are a number of ways that pharmacists might commit malpractice. According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, malpractice involves the use of negligent practices, ignorant of professional skill, that ultimately cause harm or damage. Some types of pharmacy malpractice include the following:
- Supplying you with inadequate instructions or forgetting information altogether
- Dispensing an incorrect dosage
- Sidestepping medication verification to rule out contraindications that could hurt you
- Prescribing the wrong medication
- Dismissing the requirement to advise you of medication instructions and information
- Overlooking potential allergies and giving you the medication anyway
Your protection
Protecting yourself against the danger of pharmacy malpractice requires you to ask questions. Do not shy away from expressing concerns or double-checking that your pharmacist has all of the right information. Cross reference your doctor’s notes with what your pharmacist has on record. Just as you would disclose the current medications you take at the doctor’s office, provide the same information to your pharmacist. This way, you can receive confident verification that nothing you currently take will interfere with the introduction of a new medication.
If you do suffer injuries or worsening medical conditions because of a mistake that your pharmacist made, you might consider taking legal action. You do not deserve to live with constant discomfort because of a preventable oversight. Advocating for your health and well-being is a right that no one can take away from you.
