Sainsbury’s Pharmacy Wrong Medication Claims Information & Injury Negligence Compensation Specialists

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Sainsbury’s Pharmacy Wrong Medication Claims Guide

How To Claim Compensation If A Sainsbury’s Pharmacy Dispensed The Wrong Medication

Pharmacists are responsible for dispensing a patient’s prescription of medication prescribed by their GP, hospital doctor, or other medical professionals. In the UK, pharmacy practice is guided by a code of ethics that pharmacists are obliged to abide by. This code ensures pharmacists maintain a high standard of care and reduces the likelihood of mistakes being made, such as a Sainsbury’s Pharmacy dispensing the wrong medication.

Sainsbury's Pharmacy wrong medication claims

Sainsbury’s Pharmacy wrong medication

Sainsbury’s Pharmacy has a duty to ensure that their patients receive the correct prescription and understand how to take their medication. Through their training, they are also expected to scrutinise prescribed medication, warn patients if they need to, and question the medication with the GP if there appears to be an error on the prescription, such as incorrect dosage or potential drug interaction between medications that the GP may have missed. The pharmacy is the last port of call between the patient seeing a medical professional and receiving their medication.  The role of the pharmacist is to ensure the patient receives the correct medication in accordance with what has been prescribed.

Although not all errors with prescriptions in pharmacies will result in a prescription negligence claim, in cases where the customer has been harmed by a Sainsbury’s Pharmacy wrong medication error, they may be eligible to make a medical negligence claim for compensation. Our panel of solicitors specialise in such claims and can give you the help and assistance you need. You can contact us on 0800 073 8804 for free help and advice.

 

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A Guide To Sainsbury’s Pharmacy Negligence Claims

When going to a pharmacy to collect your prescription, you are trusting the pharmacist to give you the correct medication. After all, they are medical professionals who owe a duty of care to their customers. Unfortunately, nothing is ever 100% error-proof and sometimes an error by a pharmacy can occur which can leave you injured as a result. So, what happens if a pharmacist makes a mistake in the UK?

If you have been harmed by a Sainsbury’s Pharmacy error, you should first report the error to the pharmacy in question. You should also contact the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) to report the error. The GPhC set pharmacy rules and regulates all pharmacies across the country. 

Depending on the circumstances, you may also consider filing a prescription negligence claim. When filing a claim, it helps to have some knowledge beforehand of what a claim will involve and how to go about it. Legal Expert has produced this guide, packed with advice and information regarding pharmacy negligence cases.  You’ll find details on issues such as determining what may be classed as a prescription error, common causes of wrong medication errors, types of errors that may be made by a pharmacist, and what impact being given the incorrect medication may have. We also look at what additional damages you can include in your claim, how much compensation may be awarded to you, how a No Win, No Fee solicitor could help you and how to get your claim started.

What Is A Prescription Error By Sainsbury’s Pharmacy?

People visit pharmacies, such as Sainsbury’s pharmacies, to collect prescriptions, obtain over the counter medicines, and to seek advice on health problems. In most instances, the service received by the customer is professional and to the high standard expected of a pharmacist, but on rare occasions, the service is below standard and mistakes are made.

 Any pharmacist could make a range of errors, such as giving out the wrong prescription, giving the incorrect instructions, failing to notice a dangerous drug interaction or giving the wrong strength of medication or wrong medication entirely. Such mistakes could result in the customer suffering from pain and discomfort, an adverse drug reaction, an allergic reaction, or even loss of life. A dispensing error by a Sainsbury’s pharmacist may cause the customers’ existing health complaint to worsen, or may result in other minor to severe health problems.

If you or someone you care about has suffered due to Sainsbury’s Pharmacy negligence, depending on the circumstances involved, you may have a case suitable for filing a medical negligence claim.

Statistics Relating To Wrong Medication Negligence In The UK

In May 2012, a report by the General Medical Council found that in the NHS, 1 in 20 prescriptions had an error of some kind. Thankfully serious mistakes were uncommon but common mistakes included dosage and timing errors. Over 6,000 GP prescriptions across the UK were examined in the study and it was found that 1 in 8 patients had a mistake on their prescription, with 4 in 10 patients being over 75 years of age. It found that 42% of the errors were minor, 54% were moderate and 4% were found to be serious. 30% of the errors involved incomplete information written on the prescription, 18% involved mistakes with dosage and strength errors, 11% involved an error with the timing of medication, and the most common errors, with 69%, involved failing to request the patient being monitored.

Common Causes Of Wrong Medication Errors In a Pharmacy

There are lots of different causes of wrong medication negligence that results in an error by a pharmacy being made. Pharmacists owe their customers a duty of care to provide a professional service at a high standard in accordance with the General Pharmaceutical Council. They have a responsibility to dispense the patient’s prescriptions with care and attention to ensure that the patient receives the correct prescription, correct type and dose of medication and the correct instructions. 

With their medical knowledge and extensive training, they also have a responsibility to spot any errors in a written prescription, alert the patient to any potential drug interactions and intervene, where necessary, if drug interaction could prove dangerous. Some of the common causes of errors in a pharmacy include:

  • Misunderstanding the writing on a prescription;
  • Computer errors;
  • Failure in the supervision of other pharmacy staff;
  • Failing to thoroughly check medications dispensed by other dispensary staff such as technicians;
  • A newly qualified or junior pharmacist failing to spot harmful drug interactions;
  • Rushing the dispensing when busy, leading to silly mistakes;
  • Tiredness and lack of correct level of attention;
  • Not checking date and condition of stock regularly;
  • Failing to alert the patient, or patient’s GP in some circumstances, of any potential drug interactions;
  • Failing to ensure the prescriptions are correctly labelled.

Types Of Prescription Errors Made By Pharmacists

There is a mix of different types of errors that could be made in a pharmacy that could lead to a customer becoming ill because of negligence. Some of these include:

  • Mistakes In Administration – Administrative errors are more often made by junior members of the pharmacy staff who haven’t got the medical qualifications held by a pharmacist. However, a pharmacist legally has to be present for junior members of staff to hand out completed prescriptions and to check each prescription before being bagged up, so ultimately the pharmacist is responsible for any errors made before the customer receives their medication.
  • Dispensing The Wrong Medication – This could happen either by putting the medication label onto the wrong bottle or packet of medicine or by filling a correctly labelled container with the wrong medicine.
  • Dispensing Incorrect Instructions – This may happen due to the pharmacist incorrectly reading the prescription or negligently adding the wrong instructions due to a lack of attention to detail. Giving the wrong instructions with medication can cause several problems such as insufficient dosage being met, accidental overdosing, or negative drug interactions for example.
  • Using Ingredients Which Are Damaged – Medicines held in stock should be regularly checked for expiry dates and condition. Medication that is out of date may not work as effectively as they should and therefore not have the expected effect on the patient’s health, resulting in their condition worsening.
  • Wrongly Mixing Ingredients Or Prescriptions – Wrongly mixing prescriptions could result in the patient not receiving the correct medication that they need, or could result in a severe adverse reaction in the body if medicines are taken together that shouldn’t be.

Impact Of Wrong Medication Errors On Pharmacy Customers

Sainsbury’s pharmacies have a duty of care to provide customers with the correct medicines that they have been prescribed, along with any necessary advice and guidance. If they fail in their duty of care and give the wrong medication, incorrect instructions, or they make an error reading a prescription for example, and the resultant consequences are that the patient suffers from adverse effects, they may be held accountable for their negligent actions. Although the majority of errors result in minor, short term issues such as dizziness, nausea, and headaches with no lasting effects, occasionally, errors can cause severe health issues such as pain, serious reactions within the body, prolonged ill health and sometimes death.

If a loved one or yourself have suffered due to a mistake by Sainsbury’s Pharmacy, speak to a medical negligence solicitor at Legal Expert to find out if you have cause to make a claim for compensation.

Steps To Prevent Harmful Pharmacy Wrong Medication Errors

Even with the best will in the world and care being taken, negligent mistakes can still happen which can possibly result in devastating consequences. Although we tend to put our trust in medical professionals, such as pharmacists, to give us the correct medication we need, it doesn’t do any harm to be aware of some of the things you can do yourself to protect from a potential prescription error. These include:

  • Always check that the medicines you have been given are labelled with your name.
  • Check that the medication has the same name and is the same strength as what has been prescribed on your prescription.
  • Read the instructions and make sure they are the same as on the prescription.
  • Ask the pharmacist for any advice such as when is the best time to take your medicine, and whether it should be taken before, with or after food, for example.
  • If your medication is in the original packaging, check the expiry date.
  • Make sure that you see your GP for reviews of on-going medication to check the medicine is still needed or indeed having the desired effect.
  • If you are taking more than one medication, double-check with the pharmacist that they are safe to be taken together.

Calculating Wrong Medication Negligence Claims Against Sainsbury’s

If you are considering launching a prescription negligence claim due to being injured as a result of Sainsbury’s Pharmacy negligence, you will probably be wondering how much compensation you might receive if you won your case. Although using a personal injury claims calculator will not allow us to predict the final amount of compensation that could be given at this moment in time, it does allow us to detail some of the compensation amounts for general damages. The figures contained in the table below are taken from the Judicial College Guidelines, a legal publication used by solicitors and the courts to help value a claim. The rest of the compensation award would then need to be added in with these amounts, taking various items into account to get the final compensation award.

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General Damages – Physical / psychological Injury Award Amount Comments
Mental Anguish £500 – £4,380 Reduction in expectation of life and fear of impending death
Severe Kidney Damage £158,970 – £197,480 Permanent damage of loss of one or both kidneys
Moderately Severe Kidney Damage £42,110 – £60,050 Where there is a significant loss of natural kidney function or risk of future urinary tract infection. These cases often invariably result in substantial future medical expenses, which in this field are particularly high.
Less Severe Kidney Damage £28,880 – £42,110 Loss of one kidney but the kidney left is okay.
Moderate Poisoning £3,710 – £8,950 Significant pain and discomfort experienced, cramps, nausea, vomiting, alteration of bowel function and fatigue. Possible hospital admission, symptoms can last weeks to months but full recovery should be expected within 1-2 years.
Minor Poisoning £860 – £3,710 Varying symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, nausea, diarrhoea, full recovery within few days or weeks depending on severity.
Minor Eye Injuries £3,710 – £8,200 Harmful liquids splashed into eyes causing pain, irritation and some temporary reduction in vision in one or both eyes

If you have further questions regarding the amount of compensation, please contact Legal Expert for assistance.

Additional Forms Of Compensation

As well as general damages that account for the physical or psychological pain and suffering inflicted by the injury, several other items can be claimed for to. This aspect of compensation is known as special damages.  Special damages are designed to compensate you for any financial losses or expenses that may have been incurred as a result of the injury. Examples of special damages include:

  • Medical Expenses – If the claimant has incurred any medical costs because of their injury, these should be included in the claim.
  • Travel Expenses – Any travel expenses that the claimant has incurred due to their injury should be included.
  • Loss Of Income – If the claimant has had to take time off of work, or is still off work because of their injury, their lost income should be calculated according to their current pay grade and included in their claim.
  • Care Claim – If the claimant has needed to pay care costs, they can include these in the claim.

For any special damages, the claimant should keep hold of any receipts and records of costs so that these can be provided as proof of costs.

No Win, No Fee Claims For Sainsbury’s Pharmacy negligence

Filing a prescription negligence claim can be a highly complex process and so having a  medical negligence lawyer make your claim on your behalf can be not only very advantageous but also a huge relief. Having a legal team that has experience in the field can greatly increase your chances of success as they will know exactly what steps to take, what evidence to include and how to present your case professionally. 

Luckily, if you proceed with a claim with one of the solicitors from our panel, you’ll be able to pursue a claim on a No Win, No Fee basis. When you begin your claim, you’ll be asked to sign a No Win, No Fee Agreement, otherwise known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). The CFA is designed to offer claimants financial protection and the confidence to pursue justice. If you sign a CFA with a solicitor from our panel, you will not have to pay any fees upfront, nor will you have to pay any fees during your claim either. And if your claim is unsuccessful, you will not have to pay any of the fees your solicitor has incurred in pursuing your case.

If your claim is successful, your solicitor may seek a small contribution towards their costs. This is known as a ‘success fee’ and would be deducted from the compensation awarded at the end of the claim. Don’t worry, the success fee is legally capped and the details will be confirmed with you before you begin your Sainsbury’s Pharmacy wrong medication claim.

Why Select Our Expert Team For Your Claim?

Legal Expert work with a panel of expert personal injury and medical negligence solicitors that have specialised in the medical negligence claims for decades. As such, they have a wealth of experience in dealing with pharmacy negligence cases, and with great success.

All of the solicitors on our panel offer a No Win, No Fee policy and have an excellent success rate, often securing the maximum amounts of compensation for each case that they take on.

We offer a free session where you can consult with one of the medical negligence lawyers on our panel to discuss the details surrounding your case, ask any of the many questions you may have.

Our team always works in an efficient and timely manner, is honest and reliable, and will always endeavour to get the best outcome that they possibly can for you.

When choosing Legal Expert to make your medical negligence claim on your behalf, you can be sure that your Sainsbury’s Pharmacy wrong medication claim is in good hands.

Start A Negligence Claim Against A Sainsbury’s Pharmacy for Dispensing The Wrong Medication

The simplest way to start your Sainsbury’s Pharmacy wrong medication claim is to contact us at Legal Expert on 0800 073 8804. We will start by providing you with a free consultation to establish the facts surrounding your case and then we can get to work on securing you the compensation you deserve.

Essential Resources

Here are some further details on making a potential Sainsbury’s Pharmacy wrong medication claim:

Wrong Dosage Prescribed By Doctor Claims – Here you can find information on how to claim if your doctor has prescribed the wrong dose of medication causing you harm.

Claims Guide For Hospital Medication Errors – If you have been given the wrong medication in a hospital, you may be able to claim.

Medical Negligence Death Claims – If a loved one has lost their life due to medical negligence, this guide gives information regarding making a claim on their behalf.

General Pharmaceutical Council Standards – Here you will find the standards set for all pharmacies to abide by.

Pharmaceutical Journal – Find the top ten prescribing errors according to the pharmaceutical journal and ways in which they could be avoided.

National Medicines Safety Programme – Information regarding the 2017 World Health Organisation’s Global Patient Safety Challenge programme.

 

Written by Hector

Edited by Billing

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      Patrick is a Grade A solicitor having qualified in 2005. He's an an expert in accident at work and public liability claims and is currently our head of the EL/PL department. Get in touch today for free to see how we can help you.