Medical negligence - or not?

Clare1981

My daughter has been prescribed the wrong dose of preventative antibiotics for the last 13 months. The dose was double what she should have been taking and even double the dose of an adults dose.

The paediatrician has only just spotted this but it seems the original prescription came from her GP and we have just been requesting repeats ever since.

There have been no ill effects that I know of although now she is back on the normal dose she is brewing an infection. Now I know it isn't the end of the world but tbh I just think its really sloppy and that someone should be held responsible for the mistake. Is there anything I can do?

Thank you all in advance x

davidmcn

By all means report it so that "lessons are learned", but if there have been no ill effects that's all you can expect.

kirtondm

A neligence claim requires damage to have been done so this would fall at the first hurdle.

rosie383

Are you 100% sure that she had been on a double dose all this time? Strange that not one pharmacist hasn't picked up these mistakes if you have had multiple prescriptions. Something doesn't ring true about this.

oldagetraveller

What did the patient information leaflet, usually in the box, advise re dosage?
You did read it of course? Doing so could have possibly rung alarm bells leading to questioning the prescriber or Pharmacist..

NCC-1701

Dosage of antibiotics can vary depending on the bacterium causing the infection. What was the antibiotic prescribed? Penicillin, the oldest antibiotic discovered is given in various dose and outside of allergic reactions is still to this day one of the safest.

sheramber

Did the GP prescribe it on instructions from the paediatrician ?

If so ask to see the letter sent to the GP to check what dosage was on the letter?

If the GP prescribed it himself then ask him why he prescribed the larger dose. He may have had a good reason for doing so.

If your daughter is now 'brewing an infection' it looks like she needed the larger dose?

Clare1981

rosie383 wrote: »

Are you 100% sure that she had been on a double dose all this time? Strange that not one pharmacist hasn't picked up these mistakes if you have had multiple prescriptions. Something doesn't ring true about this.

100% sure, I guess maybe the pharmacist should have spotted something but she would have just followed what was on the prescription I guess. She has a new prescription every month so this has happened at least 12 times and noone has spotted it.

Clare1981

oldagetraveller wrote: »

What did the patient information leaflet, usually in the box, advise re dosage?
You did read it of course? Doing so could have possibly rung alarm bells leading to questioning the prescriber or Pharmacist..

Yes I read it, the dosage wasn't on there as it is for prevention not cure so the dosage would be different. Regardless, this is not my fault, it is the doctors job to prescribe the correct medicine and dosage, not mine. We put our trust in these people.

Clare1981

NCC-1701 wrote: »

Dosage of antibiotics can vary depending on the bacterium causing the infection. What was the antibiotic prescribed? Penicillin, the oldest antibiotic discovered is given in various dose and outside of allergic reactions is still to this day one of the safest.

Sadly she has built up a resistance to penicillin and two other antibiotics due to her being on them for so long. There is no infection present at present, she is 8 and has had almost 30 UTIs so the antibiotics are supposed to prevent the infections. The dosage would be the same for every child in this situation.

elsien

Clare1981 wrote: »

100% sure, I guess maybe the pharmacist should have spotted something but she would have just followed what was on the prescription I guess. She has a new prescription every month so this has happened at least 12 times and noone has spotted it.

Part of the pharmacist role is to flag up if the doctor has done something daft, so if the dosage was wrong/dangerous for your daughter's age I'd expect them to notice.