When you need to have a prescription filled, you might not consider whether the pharmacy you choose is the right one. After all, it’s easy to assume that all pharmacies are essentially the same and that it’s a simple procedure to fill a prescription. Yet there are many things that can go wrong between the time you leave the doctor’s office, hand in your prescription, and pick it up.

Reasons Why a Medical Malpractice Claim Could be Filed against a Pharmacy

There are a number of reasons why an individual may decide to file a medical malpractice claim against a pharmacy or pharmacist. Some of the reasons are due to misconduct while others are simple negligence.

Ultimately, though, it doesn’t matter what the reason because malpractice puts your health (or the health of a loved one) in jeopardy.

A pharmacy could have a medical malpractice claim filed against it because it refused to fill a prescription. Some pharmacists may refuse to fill a prescription because they don’t recognize or can’t find information in their system about a particular doctor, the individual doesn’t have insurance, or the pharmacist has a personal opinion about the prescription or the individual attempting to fill it.

If you have a legitimate prescription, by law the pharmacy must fill it. Anything short of that is considered malpractice.

A pharmacist may deliver the wrong prescription or dosage to the customer. This can cause potentially life threatening situations and is considered malpractice. Always make sure that you check the prescription and dosage against the label on the bottle.

One of the more challenging aspects of a pharmacist today is to cross check any and all files and information available about each customer who is dropping off a prescription. Some medications do not interact well and can be life-threatening. A pharmacist’s job is to ensure that certain prescriptions are not being taken with other medications.

Failing to check for this when information is available may constitute malpractice.

5 Texas Pharmacies Facing Malpractice Claims

Many pharmacies face lawsuits from time to time. It’s the nature of their business, but when a pharmacy follows protocol, procedure, and follow safety measures, the patient will know that he or she is getting the best care possible.

CVS, Walgreens, Target Pharmacy, Kroger Pharmacy, and United Medical Center Pharmacy are just a few pharmacies that have or have had medical malpractice claims filed against them. Does this mean that you should avoid them for filling your prescription? No, but it means that in any pharmacy, whether it’s a small mom-and-pop operation or major chain, you should do your own due diligence before stepping out of the doors with your prescription filled.

Check your prescription, ask your doctor as well as the pharmacist what drinks, food, or other medications you should avoid while taking the prescribe medicine, check with the state board on the pharmacy to ensure that its licenses are up-to-date and read every label carefully.

If you feel as though you’ve been treated unfairly, been denied service, or suspect negligence, report it immediately.