The physician made a calculation error that lead to the patient receiving a serious medication error. This error was overlooked by the pharmacist and the nurse who administered the dose as ordered. The patient ed the medication saying, "This doesn't look like I was taking at home," but took the medication anyway when the nurse said it was a generic form of the drug. Who holds liability in this situation?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Rationale 1: The physician holds liability for making the original calculation error.
Rationale 2: The pharmacist holds liability for not catching the calculation error.
Rationale 3: The nurse holds liability for not catching the calculation error even when the patient questioned the medication.
Rationale 4: The patient questioned the drug but was given information that eased the concern. The patient would likely not have any liability in this situation.
Rationale 5: There is not enough information to assign plan to the manufacturer. The manufacturer might be liable if the formulation or packaging of the medication was confusing and made it easy to make a calculation error.

The Physician Made a Calculation Error That Lead to the Patient