Child Dies after Pharmacy Allegedly Commits Prescription Error, Overmedicates Patient
The mother of a young boy in Colorado is blaming a pharmacy for her son's death and bringing allegations of medical malpractice. Caroline Steinbrecher said that her son, eight-year-old Jake Steinbrecher, received medication for his attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, instead of getting his normal dosage of 0.03mg from the pharmacy, the kid got a 30mg dose that reportedly led to his death.
Jake Steinbrecher suffered from Sensory Input Disorder (SID), which can cause a child to feel overwhelmed and extremely anxious if there is a lot of movement and noise and light around them.
The Good Day Pharmacy, which is located in Loveland, Colorado, filled a prescription of Clonidine, an ADHD medication, for the eight-year-old boy on October 31, 2015. Jake took Clonidine from the age of four and had never previously experienced any issues with the medication. When the child later took the medicine given to him by the pharmacy in October 2015, however, he had a terrible reaction. His mother rushed him to the hospital, where doctors did everything they could to save the boy's life. Physicians were able to stabilize the child and help him get back on the road to recovery.
While conducting tests on the child, doctors at Children's Hospital in Denver CO reportedly found that his brain swelled due to an excessive amount of Clonidine medication in his body.
The drugs eventually cleared Jake's system and the child was subsequently released from the medical facility and soon returned to a normal live. But that all came to an end last month when the boy was once again hospitalized. After Jake Steinbrecher died on June 8, 2016, his family went public with their belief that his death was directly related to the earlier prescription drug dosing error.
Prescription Drug Errors Can Be Fatal
The alleged pharmacy error in this case seems extreme – the medication allegedly given to the victim was 1,000 times the prescribed dosage – but this is actually the sort of thing that can happen when a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist does not pay close enough attention to their routine tasks.
Caroline Steinbrecher, the victim's mother, said that her son suffered “long term consequences†as a result of the pharmaceutical error. Moreover, noted Steinbrecher, her son's adverse autoimmune response was directly triggered by the pharmacy's mistake and overmedication.
While Steinbrecher continues to speak out about the alleged medical negligence committed by the Colorado pharmacy, the pharmacist who gave Jake Steinbrecher the ADHD medicine that may have killed him continues to be allowed to practice and dispense medication because her license remains valid with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.
Depending on the outcome of an autopsy, the victim's family may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the pharmacy.
For additional information, check out the Yahoo.com article, “Mom Says Pharmacy's Mistake Led to 8-Year-Old's Death.â€
If you or a loved one has sustained an injury or suffered an illness as a result of negligence by a doctor, you need to talk to a qualified medical malpractice attorney. The knowledgeable, experienced medical malpractice lawyers at Lombardi and Lombardi, P.A.can help you get the compensation you need, want and deserve for your injuries. Contact us now to schedule a free consultation.
