Prescription Error Claims

Making a claim for prescription errors

Receiving the wrong prescription or a prescription with incorrect or inappropriate instructions could result in serious health problems. If you have suffered from a prescription error, you could be able to make a medical negligence claim for compensation.

An adverse drug reaction (ADR) could cause severe health problems – and even lead to death. The Universities of Manchester, Sheffield and York found that ADRs can lead to an estimated 712 deaths annually. They also found that these reactions can contribute to between 1,700 and 22,303 deaths each year.

• Prescription errors can happen in several ways, including:
• The pharmacist dispensing the wrong dosage
• The label being wrong
• The wrong patient receiving a medication
• No review of repeat prescriptions
• Prescribing a medication to a patient who is taking another drug that reacts badly
• Prescribing a medication when the patient is known to be allergic to it

The consequences of prescription errors are varied. They can depend on how long you were taking the incorrect medication and how badly you react to it.

You might find that you suffer from:

• Nausea
• Headaches
• Liver damage
• Seizures
• Allergic reaction

Why make a prescription error claim?

You have the right to be treated appropriately by medical professionals. When this doesn’t happen and you receive the wrong prescription, you are entitled to justice and compensation.

The compensation you’re awarded for a successful claim will let you focus on recovering from the effects of the negligence you suffered. It could help with any money worries you have if you’ve had to stop working.

It can also help you pay for any further medical care you may need – particularly when the initial condition you were trying to treat has not been addressed.

By making a claim against those responsible, you can also help to prevent it happening again to someone else. This is because you will be drawing attention to what happened, giving hospitals and healthcare providers the chance to make sure the mistake is not repeated.

Is there a time limit to make a claim?

For most cases of medical negligence, you have three years to make a claim. But this changes if you didn’t realise that negligence was responsible for your ill health until a later date. In this case, you will have three years to claim from the date you found out – known as the date of knowledge.

If you are claiming on behalf of someone who lacks the mental capacity to claim for themselves, you will not face a time limit. Meanwhile, children have three years from the date of their 18^th birthday to make a claim for a prescription error.

Find out more about making a claim here.

How much can I claim in compensation?

The amount you’ll receive for a successful claim will depend on your individual situation. Compensation is split into two parts: general damages and special damages.

General damages will cover the pain and suffering you have been through as a result of the negligence you experienced.

Special damages compensate for any impact the negligence has had on your finances. For example, you could be compensated for a loss of earnings if you can’t work, for medical treatment you’ve had to receive or for travel to and from medical appointments.

Our medical negligence compensation calculator could help you work out how much you might be entitled to.

I think I have a claim – what should I do?

If you aren’t sure whether you have a claim for a prescription error, just get in touch with the First4Lawyers team. We’ll help you work out your options is by discussing your situation and talking you through our No Win No Fee claims service.

Our specialist solicitors will work to put together the strongest case possible, to give you the best chance of getting back to the position you were in before you became the victim of negligence.

To find out more about how we can help make the process of making a prescription error claim as straightforward as possible, just give us a call, request a call back or start your claim online.