In September 2012, Ms. A walked into a Hampton, SC pharmacy to have a Prilosec (acid reflux medication) prescription filled. The pharmacist gave her a 90 pill bottle. Ms. A began taking the pills as she believed she should. Within a week, Ms. A’s family noticed changes in her behavior. The side effects intensified over the following three weeks.
On October 8, 2012, Ms. A called her daughter, and asked “What is Zoloft?” The daughter questioned why her mother would ask about Zoloft. Ms. A told her daughter, “That is the medication I’ve been taking for my stomach.” The daughter instructed Ms. A to immediately stop taking Zoloft (anti-depressant). Regrettably, the chemicals were already in her blood and Ms. A had to be hospitalized two days later as a result of "delirium secondary to medication interactions."
Sadly, prescription errors are as common as they are preventable. In this instance, the pharmacy’s patient-safety violation placed a respected member of the Hampton community in the hospital. In other instances, patients are killed because neither pharmacists nor their assistants take just a few moments to ensure sick people are issued the right medication. The lack of attention and concern which leads to prescription errors such as the one that harmed Ms. A is unacceptable.
Ms. Williams had to be made whole and her community had to be protected from unsafe pharmacies. I told the pharmacy that if their settlement offer did not account for these truths, a jury verdict would. In South Carolina, jurors are charged to protect their community and serve as its conscience. In Hampton County, jurors have a reputation for upholding those duties while ensuring that members of their community receive full and lasting justice.
The pharmacy settled the case for a confidential amount within 6 weeks of receiving our demand.
If you have questions about a prescription misfill case, call me at (803) 790-2800 or contact us by using the live chat feature below.
Get Help From an Experienced South Carolina Lawyer
If you’ve been hurt in an accident in South Carolina and are having a difficult time dealing with the insurance company, South Carolina personal injury attorney Kenneth E. Berger is here to help you. No matter who caused your accident or how many insurance companies are involved, we know the tactics insurers will use to try and dodge their obligations to you. We believe in standing up for your rights and holding insurance companies to task for the policies they sign, so you can get a full and fair settlement.
The attorneys at the Law Office of Kenneth E. Berger have years of experience handling cases like yours, and would be honored to help you and your family with the legal recovery process while you focus on healing. Our offices are conveniently located in Columbia and Myrtle Beach, and we proudly serve the Sumter and Florence areas, as well as the entire state of South Carolina.
