As you know, after seeing a doctor, the doctor will then fill out a prescription and send it over to a pharmacy for the patient to pick it up. Of course, the pharmacist is not the one who diagnoses the patient, but the pharmacist still has a wide array of responsibilities towards the patient, as any type of negligence when handling someone’s medication can result in very serious consequences for the patient. That being said, if you are a pharmacist and you are currently facing an allegation of malpractice, you have a lot on the line. Fortunately, our New York City medical defense attorney is here to help. Please continue reading to learn more about pharmacist malpractice and how our firm can assist you. Here are some of the questions you may have:
What are some examples of pharmacist malpractice?
There are various ways in which a pharmacist can behave negligently, some of which are as follows:
- Prescribing the wrong medication
- Prescribing the wrong dosage of a medication
- Failing to contact a patient’s healthcare if there are any concerns with the prescribed drug
- Failing to ensure that the patient can take medications prescribed by different physicians at the same time
- Failing to ensure that the patient’s medical history allows for him or her to take the prescribed medication
How can a pharmacist be convicted of malpractice?
To prove that an incident of malpractice occurred, the patient will have to first prove that the pharmacist in question owed him or her a duty of care. For example, if you were the pharmacist in charge of handling the patient’s medication and you were the pharmacist who gave the patient his or her medication, that should be enough to establish a duty of care. The patient will then have to prove that you breached the duty of care by acting negligently or otherwise in a way that a reasonable pharmacist would not have acted. Finally, the patient will have to prove that the breach of duty of care directly caused him or her harm, and that harm resulted in the patient experiencing significant damages. This is not always easy to prove, though it can be done, and if you are found guilty of malpractice, you may lose your license to practice medicine, among other consequences, which is why you must hire a knowledgeable attorney who can work to fight these accusations every step of the way.
Contact our New York City firm
When a medical professional is accused of misconduct, they must retain strong legal representation. If you require a medical law attorney for your legal matters, call Paul E. Walker, an experienced New York City OPMC & OPD Lawyer. Please contact the Walker Medical Law firm to set up a free initial consultation.
