Pharmacy Labeling Error Resulted in Mother Giving Wrong Medication to Baby
More than 3.8 billion prescriptions are filled each year, and in very rare instances a pharmacy error or mistake could create a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation. The Spokesman-Review recently profiled the story of a baby from Spokane, Washington, whose mother gave her the wrong medication due to a pharmacy labeling error.
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According to the article, Walgreens pharmacy in North Spokane provided Courtney Lindberg with the wrong medication for her seriously ill infant. The baby was prescribed a diuretic called Lasix as a temporary solution to help the baby breath easier and feed until heart surgery could be completed. While the prescription was labeled as Lasix, the bottle actually contained the heart medication digoxin.
Luckily the mother noticed the problem before any permanent harm was done, as she noticed that the medication was not working and that it was a different color than prior prescriptions.
As described in the Spokesman-Review:
Lindberg grabbed the bottle and read the label. Then she looked more closely: The label was affixed to a bottle containing the wrong medicine.
“It floored me,” she said. “Walgreens gave me the wrong medicine, and I had been giving it to my baby all day.”
Walgreens says the case is a rare error, and the baby’s Spokane cardiologist said no permanent harm was done – although it could have been if Lindberg hadn’t caught on so quickly.
Lindberg said she isn’t looking for money and isn’t even interested in an apology. She wants her story told as a cautionary tale.
“What I want is for them to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” she said.
“I know that no one did this on purpose,” she added. “But it’s scary, and I would hope that everyone double-checks their prescriptions.”
Walgreens indicates that they have spent over $1 billion over the past decade on programs designed to avoid these types of inexcusable and careless human errors. They are the largest pharmacy chain in the United States, filling over 16% of the prescriptions throughout the country last year.
According to a 2006 report by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science, over 1.5 million people are injured or killed every year in the United States by a medication error or pharmacy mistake. The problems can be caused by a pharmacy filling the wrong drug, a physician prescribing the medication inaccurately or nurses giving individuals someone else’s medication.
PHARMACY MALPRACTICE LAWYERS
The medical malpractice lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. investigate potential cases for pharmacy errors and medication mistakes throughout the United States. If you, a friend or family member have been seriously injured or killed as a result of carelessness or negligence, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.
