Prescription errors in Ireland are when the pharmacist makes a mistake when filling your prescription. Medical negligence could happen at the local pharmacy, in the HSE hospital or when a doctor makes an error writing your prescription.

In prescription errors, the doctor may prescribe a medication you are allergic to or one that will interact with other medicines you are taking. The pharmacist may give you the wrong medication or another person’s medicine bag.

The hospital pharmacist could make an error when filling a prescription or the wrong dose than stated on the prescription. The hospital consultant could prescribe you an incorrect medication or fail to include a medication on your prescription.

Medical negligence is when a medical professional breaches their duty of care to you. Prescription errors can be medical negligence, and you could have a claim for compensation.

PBN Litigation Solicitors in Dublin can handle your medical negligence claim for compensation when you suffer ill health due to prescription errors.

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What is a prescription error claim*?

A prescription error claim* is the legal process you follow to claim compensation for medical negligence. The pharmacy negligence of a prescription error can impact your health, your work, and your income to the home. 

You claim for these effects on your life today and in the future.

Reports show that the medications which have the highest incidents of prescription error are:

  • Antithrombotics
  • Antiepileptics
  • Opioids
  • Antipsychotics
  • Vaccines

The report also states that the majority of medication errors in Ireland are due to administration errors and prescribing incidents. 

A compensation claim* looks at the financial, medical, and emotional effects on your life after a prescription error. You could be very ill after taking a medication not prescribed for you, suffer the stress of not being on the correct medication and be out of pocket due to medical bills and being off work.

Your medical negligence solicitor looks at your claim and sees how the negligence of a pharmacist, GP, or hospital consultant has impacted you.

PBN Litigation Solicitors can look at the details of the medical negligence with your prescription and see if you have a valid prescription error compensation claim*.

Start your medical negligence case today by contacting PBN solicitors.

PBN solicitors have that experience and understanding to be with you every step along the way of a medical negligence compensation claim*.

Common claims for prescription error negligence

The common claims for prescription error negligence range from compensation when you become ill after taking the wrong medication to the effects of being on the wrong medication to what happened when your child received the wrong medicine bag at the pharmacy.

You make the claim for prescription error compensation for the effects of the pharmacy negligence on your life today and in the future.

Some common claims for prescription error negligence:

  • The doctor did not adjust the prescription for side effects
  • The GP prescribed a medication to which the patient is allergic
  • The GP prescribed the wrong medication for the patient’s condition
  • The pharmacist gave a medication which interacts with the other medications
  • The pharmacist gave the wrong dose instructions

The doctor did not adjust the prescription for side effects

When the doctor does not adjust a prescription for side effects, they could be making the patient very ill and even putting their long-term health in danger.

Every medication has side effects; some become clear after a short time, but other side effects may take time to emerge. Any side effects could mean a change is needed in the dose or medication when the doctor is renewing the monthly prescription.

If your GP or hospital consultant fails to adjust your prescription after you report side effects, it could impact your health, and you could have a medical negligence compensation claim*.

The GP prescribed a medication to which the patient is allergic

If the GP prescribes a medication to which the patient is allergic, they may have an immediate reaction or fall ill sometime later with nausea or develop a skin rash.

The GP must check a patient’s medical records before prescribing a medication to avoid putting them on a medicine that could cause a known allergic reaction.

To prescribe a medication that the patient could be allergic to or to continue prescribing may be medical negligence by the GP or consultant.

The GP prescribed the wrong medication for the patient’s condition

Prescribing the wrong medication for the patient’s condition can cause side effects and allergic reactions but may also delay the beginning of the correct course of treatment for a condition.

The doctor prescribing the incorrect medication could be:

  • The GP does not read the patient’s notes before prescribing
  • The consultant makes an error when reading the patient’s notes
  • The doctor reads another patient’s notes when writing a prescription

The wrong medication error may not be noticed for some time and could have a severe effect on the health of a patient.

The pharmacist gave a medication which interacts with the other medications

When the pharmacist fills out a prescription for a patient, they must check that the medications will not interact with existing ones the patient may be taking. 

The pharmacist can check the records of existing patients and see what medications they are already prescribed.

The pharmacist may prescribe medications which interact, such as:

  • Decongestants with certain heart medications
  • Interactions between neurological medicines
  • Prescription drugs which may interact with contraceptive medications

Interactions with other medications can cause nausea and illness and could stop the medicines from working for the patient.

The pharmacist gave the wrong dose instructions

The pharmacist could give the wrong dose instructions to a patient, with terrible consequences in some situations. The GP or hospital consultant will know how much and how often a patient should take a medication, and a pharmacist’s dosage error can cause many issues.

The pharmacist may give an instruction of 50mg per day when it should be 5mg per day, and the patient could suffer the symptoms of an overdose.

A pharmacist could tell the patient to take a medication once a day when it should be three times a day and the patient would not get the benefit in these circumstances.

The pharmacist must give dosage instructions as prescribed by the doctor, and any errors with the prescription may be medical negligence.

If you suffer prescription errors when getting a medication, you could have a medical negligence compensation claim*.

Start your medical negligence case today by contacting PBN solicitors.

Compensation in prescription errors medical negligence claims*

Compensation for prescription errors in Ireland depends on the effects of the medical negligence on the patient and how much the patient suffers.  

A prescription error could cause you to go without the correct medication for a time, and you could lose the benefits of being on it. A neurological medication can take time to work, and to be given the wrong medication could upset the delicate physiological balance.

Errors could cause a patient to suffer symptoms of a sudden withdrawal and make them very ill. If a prescription error happens to you, you could become very sick and may need to have time off work.

There is not one fixed compensation award for a prescription error claim*. You may seek compensation for the trauma and other changes to your life after the medical negligence at the hands of a pharmacist, GP, or hospital consultant. 

You can claim medical negligence compensation to cover the costs of medical treatment, the loss of income, and paying for care. 

With a medical negligence claim*, you seek damages for the effect of the medication errors on you and the family today and on your future lives. 

A medical negligence solicitor can only give you an idea of what is possible in a prescription error medical negligence claim* for compensation.

PBN Litigation Solicitors can explain how the process works and how your medical negligence claim* will combine two types of damages.

Damages in a prescription errors medical negligence compensation claim*

Damages in a prescription errors medical negligence compensation claim* are a combination of:

General Damages in a prescription errors medical negligence claim* are compensation for the effects of a breach of duty of care to you by a pharmacist, GP, or hospital consultant.

You can claim general damages for the unnecessary pain, your illness getting worse and discomfort from the side effects of receiving the wrong medications or the wrong dose of a medication.

General Damages may be claimed in a medical negligence case where the injuries cause pain and inconvenience and affect the patient’s ability to exercise, drive, play sports and other activities.

Special Damages in a prescription errors medical negligence claim* are for the financial effects on your life due to the medical negligence. 

You may be able to claim for the errors by the medical professional that led to you receiving the wrong person’s medication or the wrong type of medication and for any financial losses that result.

With Special Damages, you can claim for: 

  • The loss of earnings
  • Care costs today and in the future 
  • Out-of-pocket expenses such as travel, medical appointments, further treatment 

Special Damages are for the financial effects of a loss of income after the medication errors when you cannot work for a length of time or may even need to change your employment.

You may claim Special Damages to offset the financial costs of the medical negligence so you will not be out of pocket due to the actions of others. 

A compensation claim* will help you get what is needed to maintain a similar quality of life as that before any errors with your prescription impacted your life. 

Your PBN Litigation solicitor can guide you on what to expect in compensation and how to make a claim for the prescription error medical negligence.

The two types of damages consider the effects of the medical negligence with your prescription and its impact on your life today and in the future.

Make a prescription errors medical negligence claim* today

Make a prescription errors medical negligence claim* today by contacting PBN Litigation Solicitors in Dublin. 

The experience of PBN Litigation Solicitors in dealing with all types of medical negligence can help you get the most from a compensation claim*.

You are the one who suffered the side effects of the wrong dose of a medication or who failed to benefit from a medication because of a prescription error.

You could lose your income when you cannot work, or you may need to take a job with a lower salary than before the medical negligence. You could have a compensation claim* for any financial losses to the home.

You and other family members should not be out of pocket due to medical negligence.

Contact PBN Litigation Solicitors today and let us make your prescription errors compensation claim*.