Doctor errors, which can range from forgetting to call back a patient to providing the wrong prescriptions, have the potential to seriously harm those who rely on medical providers for care. Sometimes, it’s not even the medical doctor’s direct errors that cause a problem, but instead an error by a doctor of pharmacy.
Interestingly, when a pharmacist fills a prescription, he or she is intended to review the prescription and make sure it appears correct. If not, then the pharmacy is meant to call the doctor who prescribed the medication and clarify the order.
Pharmacists have an important job. They’re meant to fill and dispense prescriptions. It’s also in the pharmacist’s job description to clarify prescription instructions for patients and to make sure the patient is aware of possible interactions between medications. If a medical provider fails to prescribe a safe medication, the pharmacist is the final safeguard before that medication reaches the patient and should stop it from being filled.
What happens if a patient gets the wrong prescription?
A few things could happen. If the prescription interacts with the patient’s other medications, there could be a medical emergency. A patient could receive a drug that doesn’t work for his or her condition, too. In the wrong dosages, simple medications used by people all over the world could easily become deadly.
When a patient gets the wrong prescription, it can be the pharmacist’s or doctor’s fault. Sometimes, it’s both. Anyone who suffers from injuries due to getting the wrong prescription needs to look into options for compensation after seeking medical care.