Medication & Pharmacy Errors Claims UK

Types of Medication Errors

Wrong medication: Prescribing or dispensing a drug the patient should not receive, including drugs they are allergic to, drugs contraindicated for their condition, and drugs intended for a different patient. Wrong dosage: Prescribing or administering the wrong amount, particularly dangerous with drugs that have a narrow therapeutic window (the difference between an effective dose and a toxic dose).

Drug interaction errors: Prescribing a new medication without checking for dangerous interactions with the patient's existing medications. Electronic prescribing systems flag interactions, but alerts are sometimes overridden or ignored. Pharmacy dispensing errors: Pharmacists dispensing the wrong drug, wrong strength, wrong quantity, or wrong patient's prescription. Look-alike drug names and packaging are common contributing factors.

High-risk medication errors: Chemotherapy errors (wrong drug, wrong dose, wrong cycle timing) can be fatal. Insulin errors (wrong type, wrong dose, missed doses) can cause life-threatening hypoglycaemia or diabetic ketoacidosis. Opioid errors (overdose, wrong patient, wrong route of administration) can cause respiratory arrest and death. Warfarin and anticoagulant errors (wrong dose, inadequate monitoring) can cause fatal bleeding or blood clots. Blood transfusion errors (wrong blood type) are a never event that can cause fatal transfusion reactions.

Who Is Liable?

The prescriber (GP, hospital doctor, specialist) is liable if they prescribed the wrong drug, dose, or failed to check interactions. The pharmacist is liable if they dispensed the wrong medication or failed to query a clearly inappropriate prescription. The hospital or pharmacy is vicariously liable for the errors of its employees. In many medication error cases, multiple parties share responsibility.

Compensation covers the harm caused by the error: additional medical treatment needed, pain and suffering, loss of earnings, care costs, and in fatal cases, bereavement and dependency claims. For serious medication errors causing permanent harm, compensation can be substantial.

Common Questions