A prescription error claim* seeks compensation for the effects of medical negligence with your medication prescription. The medical negligence of a prescription error can cause injury and stress, and you may have a compensation claim.

You make the prescription error claim* against the pharmacy or medical professional responsible for the medical negligence. You could have severe nausea, a violent reaction to the medication, and suffer treatment delays due to the prescription error medical negligence.

Every medical professional owes you a duty of care. If a medical professional breaches that duty of care, causing you an injury through a prescription error, you may have a medical negligence compensation claim.

O’Brien & Company Solicitors in Dublin can make your prescription error claim* for medical negligence compensation.

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What is a prescription error claim*?

A prescription error claim* is the legal process to get compensation for the impact on your life of medical negligence with your medications. You may have a life-changing injury after a prescription error and could claim compensation from the medical professional.

Prescription errors are common in Ireland. A recent 2024 survey from the State Claims Agency shows that pharmacists and other frontline dispensing outlets report 41.6% of all prescription errors in Ireland. There were more than 69,800 reported medication incidents in Ireland during the five years of the survey. Over 6% of medication errors in Ireland resulted in severe harm, which is a high number in real terms. 

The medical professional prescribing the medication, the GP, or the hospital doctor owes you a duty of care, as does the pharmacy dispensing the prescription. If there is a breach of that duty of care, you may have a prescription error compensation claim.

O’Brien & Company Solicitors in Dublin have the medical negligence experience to make your prescription error claim*.

Common prescription error claim*s

Common prescription error claim*s range from an allergic reaction to the wrong medication to brain damage and death from getting the wrong prescription at the pharmacy.

You make a prescription error claim* for the effect on your life today and in the future of medical negligence with your medications.
Common prescription error claim*s in Ireland:

  • Wrong person’s prescription at the pharmacy claims
  • Prescription errors by the hospital doctor claims
  • Prescription errors by hospital staff claims
  • Wrong prescription from the GP claims
  • Wrong dose instructions, prescription error claim*s

Wrong person’s prescription at the pharmacy claims

Getting the wrong person’s prescription at the pharmacy can happen if the pharmacy does not double-check the prescription before filling it.

The wrong person’s prescription will have a person’s medication other than yours, and they could interact with the medications you are already taking.

Wrong person’s prescription errors:

  • The GP sends the wrong prescription for the patient to the pharmacy
  • The pharmacy puts the wrong medications in the bag
  • The pharmacy gives you a medication bag meant for another patient

You can make a prescription error medical negligence claim* for injury due to taking the wrong medication.

Prescription errors by the hospital doctor claims

Prescription errors by the hospital doctor claims are for when you get an incorrect prescription when leaving the care of the hospital.

There may be an error with a prescription you get from the A&E doctor who did not read your notes or examine you properly when in the Emergency Department.

The hospital consultant may make a prescription error after a diagnosis of cancer or a condition such as diabetes or a neurological issue.

Administration staff may fail to send an updated prescription to the pharmacy after an appointment with the consultant.

O’Brien & Company medical negligence solicitors in Dublin can make your prescription error claim*.

Prescription errors by hospital staff claims

Prescription errors by hospital staff could have an impact on your health and cause a delay in your treatment or make you very ill.

The nursing staff and doctors must check all medications against the prescription and patient notes before giving them to you when on the ward.

Types of prescription errors by hospital staff claims:

  • Nursing staff make an error when reading the details of the prescription
  • Hospital doctor omits a medication from the prescription
  • Wrong dose instructions on the prescription from the hospital consultant

O’Brien & Company Solicitors will work with you and help make a valid hospital prescription error claim* for compensation.

Wrong prescription from the GP claims

Wrong prescription from the GP is a claim seen in many medical negligence cases in Ireland. The GP is often the first person we deal with when ill, and we rely on them not to make a medical negligence error with a prescription.

Types of GP wrong prescription claims:

  • The GP gives you a prescription meant for another patient
  • The GP fails to update a prescription when renewing it for the pharmacy
  • The GP surgery sends the wrong prescription to the pharmacy

You may have a medical negligence claim* if you suffer a personal injury due to a prescription error.

Wrong dose instructions, prescription error claim*s

Wrong dose instructions prescription errors may happen when the doctor does not read the medical notes properly or is not careful when writing a prescription for the patient.

Types of medical negligence claim*s for wrong dose instructions:

  • The oncologist gives the wrong dose instructions after a cancer diagnosis
  • The GP entered the wrong dose instructions on a prescription
  • The pharmacy puts the wrong dose instructions on the medication bottle

Wrong dose instructions can cause illness, delay effective treatment, and could cause an allergic reaction in a patient.

O’Brien & Company medical negligence solicitors in Dublin have an experienced team in place to work with you when claiming for prescription errors.

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If you are a victim of medical negligence, obtaining the advice of a professional and experienced solicitor is in your best interests.

Who can be responsible for prescription error medical negligence?

A medical professional can be responsible for the prescription error medical negligence. A hospital consultant, a GP or a pharmacist owes you a duty of care, and if they breach that duty of care, then you may have a compensation claim.

A medical professional who may be responsible for prescription error medical negligence:

  • The GP who makes an error writing a prescription
  • The GP who gives the wrong person’s prescription to a patient
  • The hospital consultant who gives the wrong dose instructions
  • The A&E doctor who writes the wrong prescription
  • The hospital consultant who fails to renew the prescription
  • The hospital consultant who does not write a prescription after diagnosis
  • The pharmacy that gives out the wrong person’s prescription
  • The pharmacy that does not fill the prescription properly

The prescription error medical negligence can cause an allergic reaction, induce a coma, and damage internal organs. Any prescription error can affect your recovery from a condition or cause you to need a stronger medication than necessary.

O’Brien & Company medical negligence solicitors can be with you when making a prescription error compensation claim.

Compensation for Prescription Error Medical Negligence in Ireland

Compensation for prescription error medical negligence in Ireland could see you receiving money to cover your costs and losses. You get compensation for the pain and other effects on your life of taking the wrong medication or taking the incorrect dose of a medication.

When a medical professional breaches their duty of care to you, they may put your life in danger and cause you unnecessary suffering. In many cases, the effects could last for life, such as when you suffer a reaction to a medication or you are taking the wrong medication for a long time.

Medical negligence compensation differs from claim to claim. You could be incapacitated for life and need full-time care due to the medical negligence, or you may be out of work and lose income to your home.

There is not one fixed amount of compensation for medical negligence, and you seek compensation for your losses, known as damages, in a medical negligence claim*.

In Ireland, a compensation claim for medical negligence is a combination of two types of damages.

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What are the two types of damages in a prescription error claim*?

The two types of damages in a prescription error claim* cover the immediate effects on your life and the impact on your future life.

You claim damages for the pain and suffering, as well as the damages of loss of income and the need to make adaptations to the home and car, and other changes to your life.

The damages in a prescription error medical negligence claim* in Ireland are:

General damages in a prescription error medical negligence claim* are compensation for the Loss of Amenity in your life. The loss of amenity can be from the effects of taking too high a dose of a medication or from taking the wrong person’s prescription medication.

A loss of amenity can be seen in a difficulty walking, exercising, or getting to work. 

You can also claim for the Pain and Suffering experienced due to a breach of the duty of care to you when being treated by a medical professional.

The special damages in a prescription error medical negligence claim* cover the extra costs in your life due to the effects of the medical negligence by a pharmacy, GP, or hospital consultant. 

Special damages in a prescription error medical negligence claim* are:

  • Medical costs
  • Loss of earnings
  • Travel costs 
  • Cost of care
  • Further treatment costs
  • Cost of aids and equipment 

A medical negligence claim* in Ireland seeks compensation for the two damages due to a medical professional’s breach of duty of care.

O’Brien & Company Solicitors will be by your side throughout the process and can advise you on what money to expect and when to settle or continue the fight.

How does a prescription error happen?

Prescription error medical negligence happens when the hospital doctor, GP or the pharmacy fails in their duty of care to you, the patient. The medical professional must check and double-check the prescription before they write it, and the pharmacy must do so before they give medication to the patient.

The prescription error can have serious implications for the patient, causing many life-threatening conditions, and the patient may have a medical negligence compensation claim.

A prescription error may be caused by:

  • The GP not updating a patient’s medication records after a visit
  • The hospital consultant forgetting to prescribe the correct medication
  • The A&E doctor not reading the patient notes before giving out a prescription
  • The hospital administration not updating the patient’s prescription details
  • The pharmacy not checking the prescription before giving out the medication
  • The pharmacy not checking the medication bag after filling it
  • The nurse not updating the patient’s medication notes on the ward

If you are a victim of a prescription error, you may have a compensation claim.

O’Brien & Company, medical negligence solicitors in Dublin, have the experience to handle your prescription error compensation claim.

What are the potential effects of a prescription error?

The potential effects of a prescription error range from unnecessary suffering, a condition becoming more difficult to treat and even the death of a patient. The personal injury of suffering due to errors with a prescription can result in spending time in hospital and possibly needing intensive care or emergency medical intervention.

The medical professional has a duty of care to the patient. If they breach that duty of care and cause you or a loved one an injury, you may have a medical negligence compensation claim.

Potential effects of a prescription error medical negligence:

  • The spread of an infection which could have been controlled
  • Organ damage when taking the wrong medication
  • Cardiac issues due to a prescription error
  • Unnecessary suffering and discomfort
  • Nausea and vomiting due to taking an incorrect medication
  • An allergic reaction due to a prescription error
  • More intensive chemotherapy due to the prescription errors
  • Drowsiness and other side effects of getting the wrong prescription
  • Seizures due to not getting the correct epilepsy medication
  • Side effects of taking too high a dose due to a prescription error
  • Unnecessary stress for the patient and their family
  • The death of the patient due to taking the wrong medication

A prescription error can cause significant pain and discomfort until the patient is prescribed the correct medication. The patient may be ill and could need hospital treatment due to a prescription error medical negligence.

O’Brien & Company medical negligence solicitors can look at the details of the prescription errors and see if you have a valid compensation claim.

Make a medical negligence claim* today

Make a medical negligence claim* today by contacting O’Brien & Company Solicitors in Dublin.

We have the experience in medical negligence and can fight any prescription error claim* until you get the compensation you deserve.

You are the one who suffered an allergic reaction due to taking the wrong medication or had to be hospitalised when you were on too high a dose of a medication, and you should get the compensation.

O’Brien & Company Solicitors have an experienced legal team in place to make the compensation claim and will be with you at every step of the claims process.

Contact O’Brien & Company medical negligence solicitors to make your prescription error claim* today.

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O’Brien & Company Solicitors has a wealth of experience and a history of success in personal injury and medical negligence cases.

We pride ourselves on achieving the best results for our clients whilst at the same time making everything as straightforward and clear for you as possible.