db 1231

A patient is recovering from surgery in the hospital. The doctor has prescribed a blood thinner for the patient after surgery to reduce the possibility of blood clots. The nurse reads the orders and goes to the pharmacy to fill the order. The pharmacy reads the order and fills it with the brand and dosage of blood thinner. The nurse administers it to the patient as required.

What has happened, however, is that the pharmacist grabbed an almost identically labeled bottle of the drug. The bottle he dispensed was a higher concentration of the same drug. The only difference on the bottle is the tiny percentage number in the bottom left hand corner; otherwise, the bottles are identical. The patient receives the wrong dose and subsequently dies.

Do you believe that the pharmacist should be charged with criminal negligence? Why, or why not?