Prescription errors are medical negligence. When a GP or pharmacy makes a prescription error, if you take the medication and suffer side effects from it, or the effects of an abrupt stop of the medication you should have received, you will have a medical negligence claim.
Making a medical negligence claim for compensation is your right when you suffer from a prescription error. Specialist medical negligence solicitors make your compensation claim and get you the money you deserve for the clinical negligence.
Medical negligence experts, like the Medical Negligence Team, are the only ones to handle your medical negligence claims.
Table of content
What is a prescription error?
A prescription error is when the GP or pharmacy gives you the incorrect medication, incorrect dosage instructions or the wrong person’s medication.
When the prescription error happens at the GP clinic, it is doctor negligence. If the mistake happens at the pharmacy, it is pharmacy negligence.
All prescription errors are medical negligence.
What are the types of prescription errors that can occur?
The types of prescription errors that can occur include:
Each type of prescription error is different, but they are all medical negligence claims.
Incorrect medication errors
Incorrect medication errors are when you receive the wrong medication from the pharmacy. Instead of giving you a medicine on your prescription, they give you one with a similar sounding name as that medication will most likely have been stored in the same drawer.
Rather than getting quinine sulphate for leg cramps you may incorrectly be given quetiapine which is for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
So you don’t get the medication you did need and you get medication which you were not prescribed which is a prescription error and a medical negligence claim.
Prescription error claims have a number of common elements which lull patients into a false sense of security.
Firstly, the box will have written on it your name and your correct medication and dose on it. Secondly, there will be two pharmacists initials on the box which is a safety check which makes you think you have been given the correct medication.
This means that people will rarely check the medication box itself as generic medications are changing all the time so the box colour and packaging is constantly changing and they also trust that the pharmacy has double checked the box label to the box itself.
Getting the wrong prescription at the Pharmacy
Getting the wrong prescription at the pharmacy happens when instead of you receiving the medications on your prescription, you get those of someone completely different..
You will often get the medication bag next to yours and the name will often be the same surname or similar name. You end up taking medication which is not your own but someone else’s altogether. You lose the benefit you get from your normal medications or don’t get the benefit of a one-off prescription and you get completely different incorrect medication which is a prescription error.
Repeat prescription Errors
Repeat prescription errors also happen at the GP and pharmacy. The GP may change your prescription, but at the pharmacy, they issue the old prescription, giving you the wrong medication or the wrong dose of medication..
You may become ill or it may make an existing condition worse by taking the wrong medicines.
Repeat prescription errors by the GP
Repeat prescription errors by the GP are when they issue you a repeat prescription, without checking your medical health. Medication errors happen a lot with repeat prescriptions.
For example you may receive a repeat prescription but the doctor may continue to prescribe the medication beyond when it is needed or beyond when it is safe to do so. For example steroid medication prescribed inappropriately over an extended period can have a catastrophic impact on someone’s long term health.
Incorrect dosage errors
Incorrect dosage errors are when the GP or pharmacy gives you too much or too little of your medications. A consultant may want to increase your dose but the doctor inadvertently stops or reduces the medication dose.
You can claim compensation for the prescription errors through a medical negligence claim.
Wrong persons medication errors
Wrong persons medication errors are when the pharmacist gives you medication meant for another client. It is pharmacy negligence that should never happen, but it does.
You may be receiving medical treatment for one condition, but the pharmacy gives you the medicine for another.
Your existing condition will not improve, and you will likely have problems from receiving the wrong person’s medication as you are taking medication which has not been prescribed to you.
What are the potential effects of medication errors?
The potential effects of medication errors include pain, suffering, a worsening of your condition, serious illness, severe side effects and even hospitalisation.
Incorrect prescription errors are a common cause of successful medical negligence claims. The potential effects of the incorrect treatment of taking the wrong medication are seen in hospital visits and even going to A&E in an emergency.
Taking an incorrect medicine
Taking an incorrect medicine means your original condition will not improve. It could take months for you to get back on the right track with your medicines.
Getting off the wrong medication can take time, and you could experience serious withdrawal and side effects.
How long does it take for signs of medication errors to appear
Yes, it can take time for the signs of medication errors to appear due to the way a medicine works. Even when the mistake is realised, it will take time for your correct medication to start working again.
Sometimes it can take weeks or months to get back to where you were before the prescri[tion error and pharmacy negligence. During this time, you will have been ill and possibly have lost earnings due to being unable to work.
You can claim pharmacy negligence compensation for these losses.
Who is at fault for a prescription error?
The GP or the pharmacy is at fault for a prescription error. Medical negligence claims only come from medical professionals not doing their job properly.
A busy GP or pharmacist will make medication errors, but that is not your problem. Medical negligence experts will look at your medical negligence claim and see who is at fault.
How can prescription errors be avoided?
Prescription errors can be avoided by the pharmacy operating the two pharmacist rule. Also known as the pharmacist buddy system, it exists to make sure medical negligence does not happen.
The pharmacist hands the medicine bag to the other pharmacist to check the contents. Pharmacy negligence is avoided when they check all medicines and ensure you get what is on the prescription.
GP prescription errors
GP prescription errors can be avoided when they double-check your prescription. The GP can avoid medical negligence by reviewing the prescription thoroughly before giving it to you.
The GP must read your medical records before writing your prescription or when you order a repeat prescription.
Medical negligence claims are easy to avoid when medical professionals do their work correctly.
You can claim compensation for the medical negligence
You can claim compensation for the medical negligence, and a medical negligence lawyer will handle the case for you.
When the GP or pharmacy does not do their work properly you follow the steps to make a negligence claim.
What are the steps involved when making a prescription error claim?
The steps involved when making a prescription error claim are a part of any successful medical negligence claim. Your medical negligence solicitors will do the rest when you follow them correctly and get all the facts and figures together.
Step 1: Seek medical advice
Seek medical advice on the injuries you have suffered or are suffering with immediately you realise you experienced medical negligence.
Step 2: Contact a specialist medical negligence solicitor
Contact a specialist medical negligence solicitor who operates on a No Win No Fee basis and tell them what went wrong. The right medical negligence lawyer will look at your case, see where the problem lies, and advise if you suffered pharmacy negligence.
The Medical Negligence Team also has a 100% Compensation Guarantee scheme, where you get all the money awarded in a negligence claim.
You are the one who suffered medication error negligence, and you should get all the money due for the suffering.
Step 3: Your medical negligence solicitors obtain your medical records
Your medical negligence solicitors obtain your medical records with your permission. By reading your records, they will confirm if they think you have a valid medical negligence case.
The Medical Negligence Team will know from reading your medical records if the case will result in negligence compensation being paid.
Step 4: The medical negligence solicitor sending a letter of claim to the negligent party
The medical negligence solicitor sending a letter of claim to the negligent party is the next step. The letter will ask them to admit pharmacy negligence in what is known as ‘sending a letter of claim.’
When the negligent party receives the letter of claim, it has up to four months to provide a written response.
Step 5: Getting a response from the negligent party’s insurer
Getting a response from the negligent party’s insurer will move your compensation claim closer to a conclusion.
The insurer will either admit the medical negligence or say they intend to defend the case. Deciding to defend the case is known as to ‘deny liability’ in legal terms.
If they admit liability, your medical negligence claim can be valued.
Your solicitor will negotiate with the negligent party and use their experience to get the compensation you deserve.
When the negligent party receives the letter of claim, it has up to four months to provide a written response.
Step 6: Issuing court proceedings
Issuing court proceedings is the next step if they deny liability in your medical negligence case. Going to court happens, too, when they are not prepared to pay a fair amount for the injuries you have suffered.
Your medical negligence solicitor issues the court proceedings.
Remember that less than 1% of medical negligence cases end up in court.
Our Process
Our team members have a higher career win rate with a 75% success rate on NHS letters of claim, compared to an industry average of 54.5%.
Enquiry
The first step is to get in touch and tell us what went wrong. It’s free and easy. Call our 24-hour helpline: 0800 246 1122 or request a callback here.
Medical Evaluation
Once you have spoken with our team we’ll let you know how we can help. Typically the next step is to obtain your medical records for us to review.
Legal Letter
Once all your medical records have been received they will be reviewed by a medically & legally qualified member of our team. If there is evidence of medical negligence we will send a letter of claim to the negligent party outlining your medical negligence claim.
Expert medical negligence solicitors
Expert medical negligence solicitors are best for personal injury claims. They will know the steps to take when making a compensation claim and know how much compensation to expect.
Always use a firm approved by the Solicitors Regulation Authority when fighting a medical negligence case.
Medical negligence claims
Medical negligence claims come from the GP or pharmacist not doing their job properly. Medical negligence lawyers will read your medical records and see where the negligent care happened.
You can claim compensation for the medication errors when healthcare professionals do not provide service at an acceptable level.
Using a No Win No Fee solicitor
Using a No Win No Fee solicitor is the only way to a successful surgical negligence claim. Your No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor will not charge you for a claim you do not win.
If they start talking of a ‘win fee’ or a ‘success fee,’ you should walk away. The negligent party insurers should pay all fees.
The medical negligence solicitor should also operate a 100% Compensation Guarantee scheme. When you win the case, all the money awarded should go to you, not the solicitor.
You are the one who suffered surgical negligence, and you deserve the compensation to get your life back to normal.
How long do I have to make a prescription error claim?
You have three years to make a prescription error claim for medical negligence. All medical negligence claims are subject to limitation periods.
For example, in England and Wales, medical negligence claims must generally be brought, court proceedings issued within three years of the injury, or three years of knowledge of the facts giving rise to the claim.
If someone has passed away, it is the date of death if the limitation period has not expired at the date of death.
Children not under a disability typically have until they reach 21 to start a medical negligence claim or court proceedings.
Persons under a disability, who lack capacity, are not subject to any limitation period.
Contact us
Contact us at Medical Negligence Team if you need to sue for medical negligence. People claim compensation when they suffer prescription errors at their pharmacy or GP.
We will know how much compensation you can expect from a medical negligence claim. Our expert medical negligence services will provide you with specialist legal advice at every step of your compensation claim.
Always use a No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor. At the Medical Negligence Team, we operate a 100% Compensation Guarantee, along with the No Win No Fee agreement, so you will get every penny of the money awarded.
We are very successful at what we do so you will receive all the prescription error compensation quickly.
Contact the Medical Negligence Team today for all your medical negligence needs.