You can sue for being given the wrong medication, as this real-life case study demonstrates.
Our medical negligence team is often asked, ‘Can you sue for being given the wrong medication?’ The answer is that you can sue for compensation if an avoidable medication error is made that leads to you suffering injury.
This is a summary of a case that medical negligence solicitor Clarissa Ellerington dealt with. It involved her client being given the wrong medication by their pharmacy and suffering harm as a result.
Background to the wrong medication claim
When our client, Mr T, collected his repeat prescription from his local pharmacy, he expected to be given his regular prescription of Amitriptyline, which he had been prescribed to treat his ongoing issues with vertigo.
He was handed his prescription, which matched the label for Amitriptyline 10mg with the direction “Take TWO at night for pain and headaches”. However, the medication actually contained within the box was Amlodipine.
Mr T took two 10mg tablets a day for three weeks before he realised that he was taking the wrong drug.
Amlodipine is a calcium channel blocker usually used for Angina or Hypertension. Side effects of Amlodipine include headaches, dizziness, insomnia, anxiety and rectal bleeding. Mr T experienced all of these side effects as a consequence of taking the medication by mistake.
The medical negligence claim against the pharmacy
Mr T contacted our helpline for guidance on bringing a medical negligence claim. His case was taken on by Clarissa who is a member of our medical negligence team and is experienced in dealing with prescription errors. Clarissa agreed to work under our popular no win no fee scheme which has been specially created for medical negligence cases.
Clarissa engaged an expert Gastroenterologist to assess the case. The expert’s report supported the claim and enabled us to obtain an admission of liability from the pharmacy. This led to negotiations taking place, and an out of court settlement was soon reached, which provided for Mr T to be compensated for the harm he’d suffered.
How we can help if you have been given the wrong medication
If you have been given the wrong medication and would like to speak to a specialist lawyer about claiming compensation, then contact us for a free consultation.
We will assess your case and if it is one we can assist with then we will explain how our no win no fee funding scheme works.
