Pharmacy negligence is when you receive less than professional care from your pharmacist or the one at the NHS pharmacy. You could suffer injury due to the medical negligence of the pharmacist, and you might have a claim for compensation.
The pharmacy negligence of giving you the wrong medication, the incorrect dose of a medication or someone else’s bag of medication can affect you immediately. It may even put your life in danger.
You make a No Win No Fee medical negligence claim for the personal injury suffered due to the pharmacy negligence and the effects on your life.
Your personal injury solicitor seeks to recover damages through a claims process. If you or a loved one have been injured and your life impacted by pharmacy negligence, a claim for compensation seeks financial redress for the injuries and financial losses.
If you have been injured in an accident and it was not your fault, The Personal Injury Team No Win No Fee solicitors can file your compensation claim for the money you deserve.
Table of content
What are pharmacy negligence claims?
Pharmacy negligence claims are when you seek compensation for the injury suffered due to negligence by the pharmacist. You might be able to seek compensation for the injury due to pharmacy negligence and the effects of it today and in the future.
You might be able to make a pharmacy negligence claim if you receive less than acceptable care from the pharmacist or at the NHS pharmacy. The compensation in a pharmacy negligence claim covers the costs of any injury and the effects of it on your life.
In cases of pharmacy negligence, people may be injured, suffer an allergic reaction, and may need hospital care with large medical bills to pay, but you might be able to claim compensation to cover your costs if it happens to you.
The pharmacy and pharmacist have a duty of care to those who use their facility to fill prescriptions. If they breach that duty of care and you suffer an injury, you might have a pharmacy negligence claim for compensation.
A No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor can review your case and advise if you have a valid pharmacy negligence claim.
Common pharmacy negligence claims
Common pharmacy negligence claims range from receiving the wrong medication, receiving the wrong dose of a medication, or taking medication that reacts with one you are already taking.
In all cases of pharmacy negligence, you might be able to make a claim for compensation. A No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor can look at your case and see if you have a possible claim for compensation.
Common pharmacy negligence claims:
Supplying a patient with the wrong medication
Supplying a patient with the wrong medication could have an immediate effect on a patient’s health. You could suffer an allergic reaction or an interaction with a medication you are already taking and may need hospitalisation.
You could receive the wrong medication if the pharmacist does not read the prescription correctly, does not pay attention when filling the medication bag or misreads the labels.
You may have a pharmacy negligence claim for compensation if the pharmacist supplies you with the wrong medication.
Giving a patient incorrect dosage instructions
Giving a patient incorrect dosage instructions may happen when the pharmacist misreads the prescription or makes errors when filling the medication bag for the patient.
Your condition may take longer to heal if you receive the wrong dosage instructions from the pharmacist. Cancer and heart disease medications come with strict dosage instructions, and you could fall very ill if the pharmacist tells you differently.
A No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor might be able to get you compensation if you receive the wrong dosage instructions from the pharmacist.
Supplying a patient with out-of-date medications
Supplying a patient with out-of-date medications should never happen in a professionally run pharmacy. The pharmacist should store medications by date and dispose of out-of-date ones before reaching expiry.
An out-of-date medication may not work or may only be at partial strength. Some medications can become toxic and poison a patient taking them. Taking an out-of-date medication could be ineffective and delay treatment for your condition.
If you receive an out-of-date medication, you could have a pharmacy negligence claim for compensation.
Giving a patient another patient’s medication bag
Giving a patient another patient’s medication bag could be a clear case of pharmacy negligence, as every pharmacy should have a strict code for dispensing medication to the public.
The pharmacy buddy system is a tried and tested method of keeping a control of supplying medication to the public. There should always be two pharmacists on duty to double-check each bag for the correct medications and that the bag is going to the patient named on the label.
If the pharmacist gives you another patient’s medication bag, you might have a medical claim for compensation.
Incorrectly stored medications
Incorrectly stored medications can quickly go off and may lose their potency well before the expiry date on the bottle. It may be pharmacy negligence if the pharmacist does not store the medication correctly and dispenses it to you.
Medication may need to be stored in a fridge to keep it at the correct temperature. Some medications may need to be stored out of direct sunlight or in certain conditions to keep them safe.
If you become ill due to an incorrectly stored medication, you might have a pharmacy negligence case for compensation.
Supplying counterfeit medications
Supplying counterfeit medications should never happen, but it can if the pharmacist does not use stock from a recognised supplier. Counterfeit medications may not work or not work as efficiently, and you could become ill or see your condition worsen over time.
Counterfeit medications are usually made from inferior ingredients in unrecognised labs. You should not take them, and the pharmacy should not supply them to patients.
You could have a pharmacy negligence case for compensation if you receive counterfeit medications from the pharmacist.
Your No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor can make your case for possible pharmacy negligence compensation against the pharmacy responsible.
Compensation for pharmacy negligence
In a No Win No Fee pharmacy negligence claim, you might be able to seek compensation damages ranging from a few thousand pounds to more than £10 million. How much compensation you can claim depends on the injuries suffered and the financial effect of those injuries on your life.
If someone else is responsible for your personal injury, you might be able to claim compensation from their insurance company.
Sample compensation amounts in a personal injury claim are as follows. Please note these are figures for the injuries only. Financial losses would apply in addition:
Who is eligible for compensation in a pharmacy negligence claim?
You might be eligible for compensation in a pharmacy negligence claim if you suffer due to a breach of care by the pharmacy.
If you are injured due to delays in beginning a correct medication, by taking the wrong medication or by receiving another person’s medications, and it was not your fault or only partially your fault, you may have a pharmacy negligence compensation claim.
You may also be able to claim compensation on behalf of a loved one if they are too sick to make the claim themselves. Your solicitor can talk you through the process and help you make the pharmacy negligence claim for a sick loved one.
If you or a loved one passes away, any dependents may be able to claim compensation. They may be able to claim compensation if the loved one dies due to pharmacy negligence that was not their fault or only partially their fault.
A dependent is defined as:
If you are one of the listed above, you may be defined as a dependent if you were partially or fully financially dependent on the person who dies due to pharmacy negligence.
You may have a claim for compensation if you are a dependent of someone who passes away due to pharmacy negligence.
Who is responsible for a pharmacy negligence claim?
The NHS Trust, which runs the pharmacy, can be responsible for a pharmacy negligence claim. If you receive your medications from a privately run pharmacy, the business owners are responsible for the compensation claim.
Medical negligence is treatment by a medical professional that is below acceptable standards. If you experience medical treatment in a pharmacy that another professional pharmacist would not provide, you may suffer pharmacy negligence.
The private pharmacy or NHS pharmacy may also be responsible for the negligence if the pharmacy employed a pharmacist not qualified for the work involved and you suffered medical negligence as a result.
If the NHS pharmacy does not follow accepted guidelines for dispensing medications, it may be responsible for medical negligence. NICE guidelines outline how a medication should be stored and dispensed; a breach of those guidelines could be pharmacy negligence.
Your No Win No Fee solicitor can help you make a claim against those who could be responsible for your pharmacy negligence.
Evidence to support a pharmacy negligence claim
Evidence to support a pharmacy negligence claim should help show that the event was not wholly your fault and someone else was at least partially responsible.
If you are injured due to pharmacy negligence or any form of medical negligence, you will need to gather as much evidence as possible to prove your claim.
When gathering evidence to support your pharmacy negligence claim, you should:
Every piece of evidence may be crucial in your medical negligence claim. You do not know what the negligent party will dispute or claim when the case begins.
Your No Win No Fee solicitor may use the evidence against the negligent party in any possible pharmacy negligence claim.
Our Process
We make the claim process as simple and streamlined as possible, and that’s one of the reasons we’re maintain a 4.9 / 5 ★ rating from our customers!
Enquiry
The first step is to get in touch and tell us what went wrong. It’s free and easy. Call our 24-hour helpline: 0800 027 0370 or request a callback here.
Claim Evaluation
Once you have spoken with our team we’ll let you know how we can help. This will involve a thorough case review and understanding of the incident, financial damages and physical injuries.
Legal Letter
Once we are satisfied we have all the information we require and have a full understanding of your circumstances. We send a letter of claim to the negligent party outlining your claim and compensation requirements.
How long do I have to make a claim for medical negligence?
You have three years to make a medical negligence claim for compensation. The three years usually begin from when you suffered possible medical negligence.
Medical negligence compensation claims must generally be brought and court proceedings issued within three years of the negligence.
If your child is aged under 18 at the date of the pharmacy negligence, you can bring the claim against the NHS or private healthcare provider on their behalf. A parent, guardian or trusted loved one, usually a close relative, can become a litigation friend who represents the child in discussions with a solicitor.
The litigation friend can make decisions on the child’s behalf and be involved in every step of the process.
A child has until they turn 18 to make a pharmacy negligence claim. Once your child turns 18, they have another three years, until they turn 21, to make their own claim for personal injury, providing one has not already been made.
If a loved one has passed away, the family can start a medical negligence compensation claim within three years of the date of death.
There is no time limit for medical negligence claims for those who lack mental capacity.
Your No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor will know all claim limits and how to make a possible claim within your time limit.
Will I have to go to court for my claim?
You are very unlikely to have to go to court to make your claim for pharmacy negligence compensation.
If you follow our advice, the claim process usually goes smoothly, and the vast majority of claims will be settled long before court proceedings are needed.
Our medical negligence team will fight your case. Even if court proceedings must be issued because, for example, the defendant unreasonably denies liability, the case is still unlikely to have to end up at a trial.
Very few compensation claims require court proceedings, and even fewer, less than 1%, will end up at trial.
Find out how much you can claim for today
Find out how much you can claim for today by using our online assessment tool. It will give you an idea of what you might be able to claim for and what compensation you might be able to expect in a medical negligence claim.
Compensation amounts are guidelines only on what to expect from your claim. Our solicitors can advise you using their expertise and experience and can quickly tell you if you have a valid medical negligence claim and what to do next.
Our team of No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitors can take your case to seek the compensation you deserve. We have the experience to handle your claim for compensation and see it through to a successful conclusion, whether the claim is worth £1,500 or more than £10,000,000.
Take our online assessment today to get an idea of claim amounts and what you could be due for the pain, suffering and impact on your life.
Contact your Personal Injury Team today for immediate expert advice tailored to you.
