Getting the wrong person’s medication in Ireland can cause illness, allergic reactions, treatment delays, and death in some cases. If you get the wrong person’s medication, you may have a medical negligence claim*.

You can get the wrong person’s medication in a pharmacy or when in the hospital. The side effects of getting the wrong medication can be nausea, vomiting and severe reactions with existing medications.

The medical professional who gave the wrong medication may be responsible for the pharmacy negligence and may have a compensation claim.

Hughes & Associates medical negligence solicitors in Dublin will be with you when making a claim for getting the wrong person’s medication.

Contact Hughes & Associates for help with your Wrong Person’s Medication Claim

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What is a wrong medication claim?

A medical negligence claim* seeks compensation for the impact of getting the wrong person’s medication on your life.

Medication errors in the hospital happen a lot in Ireland. According to HIQA, there are an estimated three million medication errors per year in Irish hospitals. Statistics show that 50% of preventable errors, medical negligence in other words, are due to medication errors in healthcare settings. 

Medication errors in the pharmacy are another common medical negligence compensation claim in Ireland. Over 40% of medication errors in Ireland are reported in the pharmacy sector. Antibiotics, opioids, epilepsy medications, and antithrombotic medications account for over 80% of medication errors in Ireland. 

The impact of medication errors can be:

  • Illness
  • Allergic reactions
  • Severe side effects
  • Skin rashes
  • Increased symptoms of a condition
  • Lack of seizure control
  • Internal organ damage
  • Treatment delays
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Emergency medical treatment
  • Death of a patient

Hughes & Associates Solicitors in Dublin will make a medical negligence claim* for the impact of the medication errors on your life.

Contact Hughes & Associates for help with yourWrong Person’s Medication Claim

How can a wrong person’s medication error happen?

A wrong person’s medication error can happen when the medical professional responsible for your medications breaches their duty of care to you. Every medical professional, from the GP to the consultant to a pharmacist, owes you a duty of care with your medications.
A breach of that duty of care can cause a personal injury, and you may have a medical negligence claim*.
Wrong person’s medication claims in the pharmacy, pharmacy negligence, can be:

  • The pharmacy makes an error with similar packaging or names
  • The pharmacy staff make a labelling error
  • Staff shortages in a busy pharmacy
  • Dispensing errors by the pharmacy due to a computer error
  • The pharmacist gives you another patient’s prescription

Wrong person’s medication error claims in the hospital, hospital negligence, can be:

  • The nurse makes an error in recording medications on admission
  • The staff give a patient another person’s medication
  • A mix-up in patient notes causes a medication error
  • Wrong dose instructions when writing up medication notes
  • Nurses give a medication, causing a drug interaction

When a medication error happens, you may be able to make a medical negligence claim*.
The negligence claim can be for compensation for the injury caused and for the losses in your life due to receiving the wrong person’s medication.
Hughes & Associates Solicitors can work with you when you are making a claim for the wrong person’s medication.

Can I claim compensation for getting the wrong person’s medication?

Yes, you can claim compensation for getting the wrong person’s medication. In any case of medication error negligence, you need to show that medical negligence happened and how it affected your life.
Medical negligence happens when a medical professional breaches their duty of care to you, causing an injury.
A solicitor, when looking to prove medical negligence, will determine:

  • If the medical professional had a duty of care to you
  • If they breached that duty of care by providing a poor standard of treatment
  • The harm you suffered was due to their breach of duty of care
  • You suffered damages, such as a loss of income, due to medical negligence

In a case of getting the wrong person’s medication medical negligence, you need to show that you received the wrong person’s medication due to a breach of duty of care by the pharmacy or at the hospital, and that by receiving the wrong medication, you suffered harm and loss.
If you suffered medical negligence with your medications, you seek damages for the impact on your life.

What are damages in a claim for getting the wrong person’s medication?

There are two types of damages in a getting the wrong person’s medication claim in Ireland:

General damages in a getting the wrong person’s medication claim will see you being compensated for the Loss of Amenity due to injury from being given the wrong medication at the pharmacy or the hospital nurse giving you another patient’s medications.
You may suffer a loss of amenity, such as difficulty walking, exercising, or getting to work.
You can also claim for the Pain and Suffering due to the injury you suffered due to a lack of duty of care by the pharmacy, or the HSE hospital.

Special damages in a getting the wrong person’s medication claim are for the costs and expenses you will have due to medical negligence, such as care costs, being unable to work and physical therapy.
Special damages in a getting the wrong person’s medication claim could be:

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

Compensation in a medical negligence claim* in Ireland combines the two damages when you suffer due to getting the wrong person’s medication.
Hughes & Associates Solicitors in Dublin can help make your medical negligence claim* in Ireland.

A getting the wrong person’s medication claim could see you receive compensation. The compensation you receive will combine the two types of damages.

Getting the wrong person’s medication FAQs

The patient who suffered due to getting the wrong person’s medication can make a compensation claim in Ireland. 

Dependents and family members may be able to claim for loss of income and other financial losses due to the death of a loved one or if a loved one is unable to claim for the medical negligence.

Dependents who may make a medical negligence claim* in Ireland are:

  • The spouse of the patient who cannot claim due to illness
  • A parent of the patient
  • A step-parent of the patient
  • A grandparent of the patient
  • A child of the patient 
  • A stepchild of the patient
  • An adult dependent of the patient
  • Family members who relied on the patient for care and financial support
  • A sister or brother 
  • A half-brother or half-sister 

You need as much evidence as possible to make a successful wrong person’s medication claim.
You can gather evidence such as:

  • Keep the medication box
  • Keep the medication label with the wrong person’s name on it
  • Keep the medication bag
  • An incident report from the pharmacy
  • CCTV footage from the pharmacy
  • An independent doctor’s report on your medical condition
  • A medical expert’s report on the harm caused by taking the wrong medication
  • A detailed timeline of what happened to you

Your medical negligence solicitor can help gather evidence when preparing for the compensation claim.

Yes, you can claim even if you were not seriously injured by getting the wrong person’s medication.
An independent medical expert may determine that you have other injuries or that you need time to recover from the injury.
The psychological impact of getting the wrong person’s medication can take time to heal, and the negligence could undermine your trust in medical professionals.

No, you do not need a medical negligence solicitor, but having one on your side can make the claims process a whole lot easier.
A medical negligence solicitor will know who to contact, how to make a claim, what evidence to gather and what level of compensation for damages you might expect for getting the wrong person’s medication.

The time limit for making a medication error claim in Ireland is two years from the date of the medical negligence.
It may be possible to extend the two-year limit if you can show a ‘date of knowledge’ clause in your case.
The date of knowledge of medical negligence is the date when you realised you got the wrong person’s medication at the pharmacy or when in hospital.

Medical negligence claims in Ireland can take over two years to resolve. A medical negligence claim* needs time for hearing evidence from both sides and for the State Claims Agency to deal with the medical records.
Medication error claims often proceed quickly as the evidence is usually straightforward and the negligent party may admit liability at an early stage.
Hughes & Associates Solicitors will be with you throughout the process to support you and guide you in claiming medical negligence compensation.

No, a claim for getting the wrong person’s medication does not have to go to court in Ireland. If you work with a good medical negligence solicitor, you can avoid court and settle your claim quickly.
A compensation claim may need to be taken to court if both sides cannot agree on the medical negligence or the amount of damages due.
At Hughes & Associates Solicitors, we work with the State Claims Agency to get the best results for our clients and to keep claims out of the courts.

Make a claim for getting the wrong person’s medication

Make a claim for getting the wrong person’s medication by contacting Hughes & Associates Solicitors in Dublin today.

You could have a compensation claim if you or a loved one received the wrong medication at the pharmacy or while in the hospital.

Medication errors can cause a loss of income, time off work to recover, and you could face bills for treatment and recovery costs. You make a compensation claim for the damages you suffer due to the medical negligence.

Contact Hughes & Associates medical negligence solicitors in Dublin when making a claim for getting the wrong person’s medication.

Contact the Hughes & Associates Team

    Phone
    +353 1 891 0020
    Email
    info@hughessolicitors.ie