Failure to Supervise Staff (Direct Supervision)

Pharmacists are legally required to supervise pharmacy technicians and other staff. Pharmacy techs are skilled technicians, but they do not have the education that a pharmacist does. Many states require that technicians be directly supervised by pharmacists. If a pharmacist is not in the work area at all times while a technician is working, the pharmacist is guilty of failure to supervise pharmacy staff. Failure to supervise pharmacy staff is not only negligent behavior; in most states it is illegal.

If a pharmacy technician fills a prescription and the pharmacist is not present, or does not check his work, the pharmacist is guilty of failure to supervise pharmacy staff. Over 1.3 million Americans are injured each year because of medication errors, and failure to supervise pharmacy staff is the culprit in many of these situations. When pharmacy technicians make mistakes, the pharmacist can be held equally responsible for the mistake because of his or her failure to supervise pharmacy staff. A large percentage of medication mistakes that result in death, injury, or serious medical complications could be prevented if the rules and regulations set for pharmacists were always strictly adhered to.

Most medication errors involve a patient being given the wrong dose of a medication. If you get too much, you may suffer from an overdose and in turn suffer serious complications. If you don't get enough of your prescribed medication, you are not getting the right treatment for your health condition.

Many other medication errors involve being given the wrong medication. Sometimes this is a very serious error, and can result in serious injury or death. Some medications look alike and some have names that look or sound alike, but they can be drastically different in the way that they work in the body.

Preventing medication errors requires diligent adherence to procedures and concentrated attention to the job at hand. It's easy for a technician to make mistakes if he is inattentive, overly busy or stressed. The pharmacist's failure to supervise pharmacy staff keeps those errors from being corrected before you get the medication.

If you have received an incorrect medication or the wrong dose of a medication, and have been harmed because of a medication error, you may be entitled to compensation for the harm done to you. If you are in this situation, an lawyer who is experienced in malpractice may be able to help you get the compensation you need. Contact us today.