What is a Pharmacist’s Duty of Care?

When you go to a pharmacy, you are counting on the people who work there to take care of filling your prescription promptly and quickly. Many medications are necessary to sustain people’s lives on a daily basis and they are counting on these medications to be delivered in a timely fashion. Pharmacists are required to do their job correctly and promptly, but many people are not aware that pharmacists have a duty of care that must guide their daily work.

The pharmacist’s duty of care is the central feature of all of their work and it is the thing that guides their decisions in many cases as they are working. This is much like the duty of care that doctors have for their patients and it is a requirement for any pharmacist who is practicing their duties correctly.

Is a Duty of Care a Legal Duty?

A pharmacist’s duty of care is a legal duty to fill lawfully requested prescriptions without delay. They are also required to fill these prescriptions correctly and to make sure to avoid errors that could lead to life-threatening injury to patients who come to them for their medications.

Because a pharmacist’s duty of care is a legal requirement for those who are working in this job, many pharmacists take the requirements related to their duty of care seriously. However, there are times where the duty of care can be neglected and this can lead to injuries or other health problems.

What Are the Actions a Pharmacist Should Take While Doing Their Duty?

Pharmacists are required to use their duty of care on a daily basis as they make decisions and take care of their patients. These are the common areas where the duty of care should be exercised:

Checking Dosage

Medications can be requested at many dosages by doctors and the age and weight of the patient can impact the dosage. A pharmacist will need to check on the height and weight of the patient as well as the age of the patient when they are filling their prescriptions. This will help make sure that there are no errors in medication dispensing that could lead to harm.

Checking for Existing Medications

If a patient is taking other medications, the pharmacist needs to be sure that the medications that are already being taken will not cause a reaction with the new ones that are being requested. This is a critical step that will help make sure that there is no chance that a patient can be harmed by taking two medications that cannot be taken together.

Provide Counsel

Counsel must be given to patients who are getting medications for the first time and it should be offered even for medications that they have taken before. This prevents mistakes that can lead to errors when the patient is taking medications. This is also critical for medications that have specific instructions that can lead to problems if they are not followed correctly.

Correct Labels

The labels on a medication need to be correctly prepared and need to show the medication name as well as the dosing information and the possible side effects. When labels are not applied correctly or prepared correctly to medicine bottles and packets, injury to the patient can occur.

Checking the Medication is Correct

Many medications look alike. When dispensing medications, there should be care taken to make sure that the right pills or powders are being given to the patient. Failing to do so can cause serious consequences for the patient. This is one of the most critical things that pharmacists must do to make sure that they are exercising the proper duty of care.

What if You Have Been Harmed Through Pharmacist Negligence?

If you have been injured due to the negligence of your pharmacist, you need to secure the help of a skilled personal injury lawyer. When a pharmacist fails to provide the required duty of care, serious injuries and even death can occur. Having the right legal support can make the difference between a successful settlement outcome and one that falls in favor of the pharmacy.

There are many reasons why your pharmacist might have failed to provide you the duty of care that is necessary. However, there is still no reason that a pharmacist should not be required to answer for their errors when filling your prescriptions. Pharmacists are required to care for their patients to the best of their abilities at all times when they are on duty to prevent injuries and long-term health concerns for the patients that they treat.

Work With a Skilled Lawyer

A skilled personal injury lawyer will be able to help you to get the support that you need for your pharmacy injury. They will conduct an investigation, collect testimony, and prepare a case to be delivered before a judge or during a settlement hearing. This support can make all the difference between getting nothing in the way of compensation and getting the support that you need to help pay your medical bills and deal with ongoing health issues related to the pharmacy’s mistake.

Having a skilled personal injury lawyer on your side is critical in any medical negligence or malpractice case and you should make sure that you hire a lawyer as soon as possible for this need.