How to Get Help When Pharmacies Make Mistakes

Pharmacies play a crucial role in our healthcare system. But when they make mistakes and commit malpractice, customers can suffer serious injuries and side effects and, at times, die. As a result, it’s important to know what to do, and whom to contact, when you or someone close to you has been injured by a medication error.

Seek immediate medical attention

If you or someone close to you has suffered a reaction to a medication – regardless of the reason – you should immediately seek medical attention. If you believe that the condition is or could be serious or potentially fatal, either call 911 or go directly to the nearest hospital emergency room. It is very important to receive care as quickly as possible because even a few minute delay could mean the difference between a minor or serious injury or reaction. If the condition does not appear to be serious or life-threatening, immediately notify your doctor, who may want to see you or who may refer you to the emergency room. The key is getting care as quickly as possible.

Notify the pharmacy, drug store, hospital, and/or doctors who prescribed or dispensed the medication

You should notify the pharmacy or doctor or hospital that made the mistake or that you believe made an error. This way, they can verify what medication you received or what happened to you. They can also document in their records what happened – which may be important later if you are involved in a claim against that provider – and provide important and potentially life-saving advice.

Keep records of what happened and when

Keep a notebook or log of what happened. You may also want to take photographs of the medication you received. That way, after you have recovered from the reaction, you will have a record that explains what happened, who you called, what they said, what you did, and when everything happened. It is always better to documents everything that happened, particularly if you are later involved in any claims arising from the medication or the mistake.

Save the drug that caused the reaction

Although you should talk to a doctor before taking the medication again (to be sure you are supposed to continue taking it), if you are told to stop taking the medicine (and you should always follow your doctor’s advice), you should keep the medicine in a safe place. Even if you are told not to continue taking the drug, you should save the bottle and the contents in case you need to produce it to the pharmacy or as part of a claim. You should put a note or otherwise indicate that you should not take the drug, but you should save it until you are sure you no longer need it for any reason.

Notify the FDA about any drug reactions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is responsible for assuring that medicines, medical devices (from bandages to artificial hearts), blood products, vaccines, cosmetics, veterinary drugs, animal feed, and electronic products that emit radiation (such as microwave ovens and video monitors), are safe and effective.

If the situation is an emergency that requires immediate action, such as a drug product that has been tampered with, call the FDA main emergency number, which is staffed 24 hours a day, at 301-443-1240. You also can report emergencies, as well as non-emergencies, to the FDA consumer complaint coordinator in your geographic area. Click here to locate the complaint coordinator in your area.

To report non-emergencies about medical products, including medicines, medical devices, blood products, biologics, and special nutritionals, you should contact MedWatch. This is the FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program that allows healthcare professionals and consumers to voluntarily report serious problems that they suspect are associated with the drugs and medical devices they prescribe, dispense, or use. These problems include serious adverse reactions and events, product quality problems, and product use errors. Reporting can be done online, by phone, or by submitting the MedWatch 3500 form by mail or fax. Visit the MedWatch How To Report page for more details.

Contact an attorney

You may also need to contact an attorney. At Pharmacy-Mistake.com, we can assist you in determining whether you have a claim against the pharmacy, hospital or medical provider. Our team of attorneys, paralegals and medical experts will review your situation and advise you about your rights.

If you, a member of your family, or a close friend, have been injured because of taking the wrong medicine or because of some other mistake, you should contact us at Pharmacy-Mistake.com for a free consultation.

Simply fill out the form on this website or call 215-995-2506 or 609-389-9958 for help.

Our personal injury lawyers regularly handle pharmacy negligence cases and can assist you with all aspects of your case.