Hazards of Multiple Drugstores

Many people take a wide variety of prescriptions to combat numerous ailments. These people sometimes are tempted to have different prescriptions filled at different pharmacies, usually for a money saving option.

A number of pharmacies have come up with lists of drugs that are sold at a flat, low rate. Different pharmacies may include different medications on their flat rate lists. As not all drugs may be available at the same pharmacy, people may opt to have their prescriptions filled by multiple pharmacies. This is a very dangerous thing, despite its cost saving benefits.

Pharmacists do more than just count out the correct number of pills from a larger vat of that type of medication. They cross-check all of a person’s medications to ensure that there will be no negative interactions between the multiple prescriptions. Some medications interact so harshly that they can cause death if they are used together. Deadly or negative interactions are even more likely when a person receives different prescriptions from different doctors. While this is true, mistakes can happen even if all of the prescriptions come from one doctor.

Patients have a tendency to assume that their pharmacists know exactly what they are taking, even if their prescriptions have been filled at different pharmacies. Sadly, this is completely untrue. Chain pharmacies may not even know what a patient has had filled at another location of the same chain.

Contact a Pennsylvania Medical Malpractice Attorney

If you have been the victim of a pharmacy error, contact a Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyer from Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 610-667-7511 to discuss your situation and to determine your legal options.