Different Drugs with Different Purposes With Look-Alike Packaging
When you consider the thousands of different kinds of drugs made by different manufacturers, with different colors, doses, names and purposes, you can understand how easy it is for patients to get them confused. That’s one of the reasons why the names of drugs are reviewed by 
the FDA’s Division of Medication Error Prevention and Analysis, which compares the name to drugs that are on the market and those still under FDA review.
This FDA Division considers factors that could cause confusion to healthcare providers and by the general public, including the spelling of the new drug, the way it will be pronounced by people with different accents, and how the name will look when it’s written by hand.
Drugs that look alike and sound alike have been listed in the Clinicians’ Pocket Drug Reference Guide.
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices has published a list of often confused drug names.
Examples of Look-Alike Medications:
Brintellix versus Brilinta: One is a blood-thinner and the other is an anti-depressant!
Gabapentin is used for restless leg syndrome, while Gemfibrozil is a cholesterol medication.
Sertraline is an antidepressant used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder and anxiety, while Simvastatin is a cholesterol-lowering medication that blocks the production of cholesterol.
Your Case. Our Cause.
We Hold Manufacturers, Pharmacies and Healthcare Providers Accountable for Their Mistakes.
What Kinds of Errors Happen in a Pharmacy?
- Putting the wrong drug into the patient’s prescription bottle;
- Putting the wrong dose of a medication into the patient’s prescription bottle;
- Giving a patient a different patient’s medication;
- Failing to advise the patient how to take the medication properly;
- Failing to advise the patient of potential side effects or drug interactions;
- Failure to call the ordering doctor for clarification if a prescription note is illegible; and
- Improperly filling the prescription for a patient.
What Kinds of Medication Mistakes Happen by Healthcare Providers?
- Administering the wrong drug to the right patient;
- Administering the right drug to the wrong patient;
- Failing to advise the patient how to take the medication properly;
- Failing to advise the patient of potential side effects or drug interactions; and
- Failing to monitor the patient for adverse reactions and side effects.
What Kinds of Drug Defects Occur?
- Manufacturing Defects, meaning that the drug was manufactured improperly or has been contaminated and causes harm to the person who ingests it;
- Side-Effect Defects, meaning that the drug was manufactured properly, but has an unexpected or unreasonable side effect resulting in harm to certain persons who ingest it; and
- Warning Defects, meaning that the drug packaging or marketing did not include proper instructions, warnings, or recommendations for how to use the drug.
If there is no recovery to you, there is no fee to us.
The attorneys at Freiwald Law, P.C. hold doctors, nurses, hospitals, technicians, pharmacists, pharmacies and any other negligent parties accountable for injuries sustained due to a prescription error, medication mistake and/or drug defect. We will launch a full investigation, and will prosecute all meritorious claims to achieve a just result for you and your family. Victims of these types of errors may be entitled to compensation for:
- Medical bills
- Cost of Medical care
- Lost of income
- Diminished future earning capacity
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Pain and suffering
Medication errors happen more often than we know. They often go unreported and can have traumatic consequences. If you believe that you or a loved one has suffered injuries as a result of a prescription error, medication mistake or drug defect, Contact Us for an evaluation of your potential claims.
Call Our Toll-Free Number: 844.793.7767 (844 RX ERROR)