Lawsuit Claims Pharmacy Mistake Led To Overdose

A lawsuit claims a woman still suffers the effects of an overdose after a pharmacy gave her the wrong dosage of her medicine.

The professional malpractice suit stems from May 17 when Dawn Dortoch, 35, filled a prescription for an anti-depressant at Seven Hills Pharmacy on Mariner Boulevard.

Dortoch's doctor said she was to take 20 mg once daily; the pharmacy gave her a prescription for 20 mg four times a day, the lawsuit states.

After several days of taking the higher dosage, Dortoch began to feel ill. Her doctor recommended she stop taking the medication, which only complicated her condition, Dortoch's attorney Herb Borroto said Wednesday.

Dortoch was admitted to the hospital on May 25 and continues to suffer seizures as a result of the overdose, Borroto said.

The amount of damages has yet to be calculated because it's still unknown if the overdose caused permanent damage, Borroto said.

The lawsuit accuses the pharmacy's parent company, L&T Co., with negligence on two counts. One, for failure to obtain a patient history, adhere to the proper dosage and warn of the drug's side effects. Secondly, the lawsuit blames the company for poor hiring practices and alleges managers should have been aware of its employees "lack of qualifications."

A representative of Seven Hills Pharmacy said his lawyer would call a reporter for comment. There was no call as of press time.