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Pharmacist liability for suicide by drug overdose.

D B Brushwood

    American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy
    |March 1, 1983
    PubMed
    Summary

    Pharmacist liability for drug overdose suicides is complex. Recent cases suggest foreseeability of suicide may override traditional legal defenses, urging pharmacies to implement new safety policies.

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    Area of Science:

    • Pharmacolegal studies
    • Clinical pharmacy
    • Medical ethics

    Background:

    • Traditionally, pharmacists are not held liable for patient suicides by drug overdose, as suicide is often considered an unforeseeable intervening act.
    • This legal precedent has historically protected pharmacists by breaking the chain of causation between negligent dispensing and patient death.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To analyze a recent case involving hospital pharmacists in Dallas, Texas, concerning liability for suicide by drug overdose.
    • To evaluate the applicability of traditional legal precedent in contemporary pharmacolegal situations.
    • To advocate for updated pharmacy practices regarding medication accumulation and suicide prevention.

    Main Methods:

    • Review and analysis of a specific legal case involving hospital pharmacists and patient suicide.
    • Examination of legal precedents concerning pharmacist liability and intervening acts.
    • Discussion of pharmacolegal principles and their application to foreseeability of suicide.

    Main Results:

    • The analysis indicated that in the Dallas case, the pharmacists could have reasonably foreseen the patient's suicide.
    • The court's reliance on established precedent may have been inappropriate given the specific facts of the case.
    • The case highlights the limitations of strictly adhering to past legal rulings in complex pharmacolegal scenarios.

    Conclusions:

    • Pharmacists and pharmacies cannot solely rely on historical case law to guide their actions regarding potential patient suicide.
    • Pharmacies must proactively develop and implement policies and procedures to mitigate the risk of patients accumulating medications for self-harm.
    • This evolving legal landscape necessitates a re-evaluation of risk management strategies within pharmacy practice.

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