The client was an 8 year old boy who was bitten by a rat. At the ER, the treating physician wrote a prescription for a non-Penicillin antibiotic (Zithromax), as the child had a severe Penicillin allergy.
The boy’s mother dropped off the prescription at a local pharmacy that they often used. A pharmacist filled the prescription incorrectly, giving the boy Penicillin.
Upon arriving home, the mother gave the boy a first dose without carefully reading the bottle. When her son commented that it tasted good, she looked at the bottle and realized that a mistake had been made.
Shortly thereafter, the boy suffered a severe allergic reaction requiring him to seek emergency treatment.
Pharmacists can be held liable for their mistakes and, like doctors, can even be held liable for medical malpractice under certain circumstances.
The terms of the settlement are confidential.
