Dispensing Errors

Errors in dispensing a prescription or medication are common. Either the wrong medication or an incorrect or missed dose of the right medication is given to a patient. Dispensing errors can also result from computer systems that do not have up-to-date patient information regarding medication allergies.

Dispensing errors not only results in a person taking medication that is not clinically indicated, which may of itself cause injury or harm. It can also result in the person’s underlying illness or condition not being treated promptly or at all which, again, can cause injury or harm.  For example, if a person develops epileptic seizures and their GP mistakenly prescribes an antidepressant instead of an anticonvulsant, that person may suffer cognitive damage or physical injury from the seizures continuing without treatment. The repeated seizures may have been prevented had an anticonvulsant been prescribed.

Medication and prescription errors do not always amount to medical negligence. To do so, it must be shown that the practitioner failed to exercise reasonable skill, care or expertise AND that the error caused harm or injury beyond the underlying condition for which the patient was being treated.