When we are prescribed a prescription, we hope to be given the correct medication so that we can start to feel better. However, if medical negligence meant you received the incorrect prescription, this could lead to you suffering a variety of consequences, and our prescription error compensation calculator may be able to help you know whether you are entitled to compensation and potentially how much.
Important Takeaways
- In order to claim compensation for a prescription error, you must be able to prove that a medical professional failed to meet the required standard of care, resulting in unnecessary harm to your person
- Common types of prescription errors include the wrong type of medication being given, incorrect dosage, and dispensing errors
- Medical professionals who could be held responsible for a prescription error include doctors, GPs, pharmacists and nurses.
- If successful, your compensation could cover the physical and psychological pain you have experienced. You may also be compensated for the financial losses associated with your injuries
- You must give evidence of the prescription error, showing the actions of the medical professional who caused it and the avoidable harm you experienced
- A solicitor from our panel could represent you through a No Win No Fee contract. This would not require you to pay any upfront or ongoing fees for their services.
To learn whether you have a valid medical negligence claim, you can contact our advisors.
- Call our advisors on 0800 408 7826
- Complete our online contact form
- Speak to our team using the live chat pop-up in the corner
Jump To A Section
- Prescription Error Compensation Calculator
- What Can Compensation Help With After A Prescription Error?
- Examples Of Prescription Errors That May Lead To A Compensation Payout
- What Injuries Can Be Covered By A Prescription Error Compensation Claim?
- What Do I Need To Claim For Prescription Errors?
- Get Help With Your Compensation From Our Team Of Advisors
- Learn More
Prescription Error Compensation Calculator
Our prescription error compensation calculator could help you gain a clearer idea of how much compensation you could potentially receive for a successful claim. It works by asking you questions about the incident that harmed you and what harm you suffered.
Our compensation calculator used the compensation guidelines stated within the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This is a document that may be used by those valuing your general damages, as it provides compensation guidleine brackets for different illnesses and injuries.
General damages are for the suffering and pain associated with the harm you have experienced. They may also need to cover the future effects of your harm, as you may not have recovered at the time of claiming.
We have included some relevant figures from the JCG in our table below. It is important that you do not view these figures as a guarantee of your potential compensation payout. This is because each medical negligence claim requires an individualised assessment of its circumstances. Therefore, these guideline figures cannot account for the unique nature of your experience.
Please take note that the 1st figure was not taken from the JCG.
| Type of Harm | Severity | Guideline Compensation Bracket | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple severe forms of harm with financial losses | Severe | Up to £1,000,000+ | Multiple types of severe harm and the associated costs, such as lost income |
| Brain | Very severe | £344,150 to £493,000 | The injured person will show little meaningful response to their environment and require full-time nursing care. |
| Paralysis | Paraplegia | £267,340 to £346,890 | The amount of compensation awarded will depend on various factors including the impact of sexual functioning, depression and pain |
| Total blindness | Total blindness | In the region of £327,940 | Complete loss of sight |
| Kidney | Both kidneys | £206,730 to £256,780 | Permanent and serious loss of or damage to both kidneys |
| Bowels | Complete loss of natural bowl functioning | Up to £183,190 | Claimant will require a colostomy bag (dependent on age) |
| Bladder | Seriously impaired control | £78,080 to £97,540 | Diminished control giving rise to some incontinence and pain |
| Loss of taste and smell | Loss of taste and smell | In the region of £47,810 | Complete loss of smell and taste |
| Spleen | Loss of spleen | £25,380 to £32,090 | Loss of spleen with a continuous |
What Can Compensation Help With After A Prescription Error?
After a prescription error, compensation could help you not only feel a sense of justice, but it could also help with any associated financial losses you have suffered.
Special damages is the part of the compensation that allows people to recover the financial losses associated with the harm they have experienced. Examples of these include:
- Lost income due to time taken off work
- The cost of adaptations made to your home ( it may be necessary to adapt your environment in order to make it livable)
- Payments for a professional carer (you may need help when going about your daily tasks)
- The cost of medical treatment (many claimants require further medical intervention to address the issues caused by the prescription error)
- The expense of travelling back and forth from medical appointments
If you are hoping to claim special damages, you must be able to provide proof of the financial impact you have experienced. You could do this by providing bank statements, receipts or invoices.
Speak to our advisors today if you have any questions about the calculation of medical negligence compensation. They have experience in handling such enquiries, so they can give you the information you need.
Examples Of Prescription Errors That May Lead To A Compensation Payout
Many different situations could give rise to a claim for prescription error compensation. In this section, we will outline some common examples to help enrich your understanding. These include:
- You have a severe allergy to ibuprofen, which has been recorded in your medical notes. When seeking pain relief for a case of endometriosis, your doctor prescribes ibuprofen to you. After taking the medication, you experience anaphylactic shock.
- Your doctor prescribes you beta blockers to treat your heart condition while you are in the hospital. However, the dosage is too high, and you experience breathing difficulties.
- A pharmacist makes a dispensing error when giving you your medication. They mix up your prescription with that of another patient. When you take the incorrect medication, you suffer severe side effects and your condition is left untreated.
- Your benign tumour is misdiagnosed as cancer. The treatment includes the prescription of drugs that have a severe impact on your immune system. This means that you experience unnecessary harm to your body.
Of course, these examples do not include every instance of prescription errors. If we did not include your scenario in our list, there is no need to panic. Get in touch with our advisors today so they can explain whether you meet the criteria to make a medical negligence claim.
What Injuries Can Be Covered By A Prescription Error Compensation Claim?
There are various physical and psychological injuries that can be covered by a prescription error compensation claim. These can vary in severity and type. Examples include:
- Allergic reactions
- Anaphylactic shock
- Changes in blood pressure
- Organ failure
- Untreated illness
- Skin rashes
- Paralysis
- Anxiety
You can speak to an advisor for free today to find out whether you can claim compensation for the unnecessary harm you have suffered. There is no pressure to start a claim with Compensation Calculator UK after enquiring.
What Do I Need To Claim For Prescription Errors?
In order to claim compensation for prescription errors, you need to provide evidence that proves medical negligence took place. You can do this by giving:
- Copies of your medical records, which should detail your prescriptions and any relevant allergies
- Contact details of people who witnessed the prescription error occur
- A diary of your prescriptions and symptoms, showing your experience of harm over time
- Photos of your injuries if they are visible- For example, if you were given a medicine that you are allergic to, your skin may have broken out in a rash
- The container in which the prescription was given to you.
Please speak with an advisor to find out what evidence would be applicable to your specific case. They may also be able to connect you with a solicitor from our panel who could help you with gathering evidence for your claim.
You must also ensure that you start your claim within the limitation period. This is usually 3 years, starting from the date on which the prescription error occurred or the date you first became reasonably aware that medical negligence took place, as stated within the Limitation Act 1980.
If you have any questions about legal time limits or what evidence is required to prove medical negligence, please speak to an advisor. They will provide you with tailored advice to match your specific circumstances.
Get Help With Your Compensation From Our Team Of Advisors
You can speak with our team of expert advisors today to find out if you could be connected to a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel. By signing a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) with one of them, you are not required to pay for your solicitor’s work:
- Before the prescription error claim is underway
- While the case is ongoing
- If you do not receive medical negligence compensation
However, if you do gain compensation, you must pay a success fee to your solicitor. This means that they will deduct a percentage from your compensation. There is a legal cap in place, so you can rest assured that the largest part of the compensation will stay with you.
You could also benefit from the following legal services that would be delivered to an excellent standard:
- Help when gathering evidence of the prescription error and the extent to which it impacted your life
- Professional handling of correspondence on your behalf
- Expert negotiation of the compensation owed to demand that it reflects the appropriate impact you have experienced
- Regular updates on the state of your case so that you never feel uncertain of how it is going
Contact Compensation Calculator UK
Contact an advisor today to learn more about claiming prescription error compensation. They will explain whether you meet the criteria to make a claim and potentially connect you to one of the solicitors from our panel.
Though it is important to note that there is no pressure to start a medical negligence claim at this time. Our enquiries line is open to anyone looking to raise a general question. If you do not want to claim after speaking with us, there will be no pressure to do so.
- Call our advisors on 0800 408 7826
- Complete our online contact form
- Speak to our team using the live chat pop-up in the corner
Learn More
Visit our other medical negligence guides below:
- Read our blood clot compensation guide
- Find out how to claim gynaecology negligence compensation
- Visit our guide on claiming for surgical error compensation
External resources:
- Find out whether you can claim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
- Read the standards for using pharmacy services, as provided by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPC)
- Visit the NHS Resolution guide on how they are learning from medication errors
Thank you for reading our guide on how to claim prescription error compensation.
