A Chicago mom is suing Walgreens for negligence over the death of her son, who died of a Vicodin overdose in August 2012. The suit claims that the doctor of John P. Oles, 29, had contacted Walgreen’s in 2010, requesting that pharmacists refrain from filling any prescriptions for Oles received from other doctors. According to the suit, Walgreens responded to the doctor’s warnings of Oles’ drug abuse by making a note in Oles’ file, while contining to fill prescriptions for the young man. Oles received Vicodin prescriptions from Walgreens for the following two years leading up to his death. The suit was filed in the Cook County courts last week. Walgreens has not commented.
More than 1.5 million people are injured each year in the U.S. due to medication errors, and about 7,000 are killed. When doctors or pharmacists make a mistake with prescription medications, the consequences can be fatal. Claims for prescription errors are often based on simple negligence, but can be attributed to professional malpractice. The following are the most common mistakes made by both doctors and pharmacies:
- Failure to notify patient of possible side effects.