Family of Michigan Man Sues Rite-Aid after Pharmacy Error-Related Death
The family of a man has filed a lawsuit against a Rite Aid store in Michigan alleging that a medication error that occurred at a local pharmacy, contributed to his death.
The victim John Sheridan, an attorney, developed melanoma on his back in 2007. The cancer quickly spread to his brain. In September that year, Rite Aid issued a dose of a chemotherapy drug Temodar, which was much higher than his recommended dosage. According to the prescription, Sheridan was to take 14 capsules daily of Temodar. That was roughly 10 times the normal dosage and almost double a fatal dosage. Rite Aid failed to spot the error, and filled out the prescription. Sheridan unwittingly took the high dose, which contributed to his cancer developing rapidly. Within the next month , Sheridan was dead.
The doctor who issued the prescription has since settled with the family out of court. Sheridan’s family has filed a lawsuit against Rite Aid for issuing the lethal dose of Temodar. The family insists that the Rite Aid pharmacist should have noted the prescription error, and should have contacted Sheridan’s oncologist to inform him of the error. They failed to do so, contributing to the rapid deterioration of Sheridan’s health, and finally resulting in his death just a month later.
When you undergo treatment for an illness, you expect that doctors, nurses and pharmacists in charge of your health are completely accurate in their diagnosis and treatment. You depend on their sense of responsibility because as an ill person, or the loved one of a patient, you really don’t have a choice but to place your trust and faith in the hands of the doctor or pharmacists. The Rite Aid pharmacy here had a golden opportunity to correct a serious medication error
If you have had any experience with pharmacy errors in New Jersey, l want to speak with you in connection with a special TV report on pharmacy errors. Please contact a pharmacy error lawyer at my office.