New York, NY – A liver transplant patient is suing, in Manhattan's state Supreme Court, the NYU Medical Center for $2 million, claiming the hospital's pharmacy gave him medicine for HIV, when he tried to fill a prescription for hepatitis C.
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Gregory Rossini, 56, claims that taking the wrong medication caused his hepatitis condition to worsen. Besides chills, dizziness, fever and loss of appetite and weight, his eyes and skin turned yellow, the lawsuit says.
Rossini said an employee in the NYU Medical Center pharmacy made the error when he asked for a medication called Rebetol for hepatitis C, and the pharmacist instead gave him Reyataz, an HIV medication.
The lawsuit says Rossini received a letter two months later signed by Dr. Max M. Cohen, admitting that the patient had been given medication from a mislabeled bottle.
Cohen's letter said a "robotic malfunction" resulted in the pharmacists having to dispense medications manually.
Rossini's lawyer, William Bird, said he is unsure what Cohen meant by "robotic malfunction." [AP]
Regarless of the available technology, pharmacists must verify medications prior to dispensing. Nurses, patients and caregivers depend on their expert practice and should not have to suffer the consequences of their ‘short cuts’whether the meds are for HIV, HEP C, or Strep Throat. Haven’t the recent medication errors with neonates etc openend up the eyes of pharmacists and other health care professionals? Good Luck Gregg.
NYU is completely responsible for this absolute horrible mistake and should take care of this man in any way possible, even if it means a major payout. Thankfully this man is still alive.
When people rely on robotics and robotics fail there is always problems.
there are giant robotic closets with shelves in many pharmacies now. the pharmacist codes in what he needs and the machine dispenses it. sounds like someone entered the wrong name of the medication.
things like this should still have a human being doing double checking and quality control