Handwriting: A chemo overdose lawsuit

The trouble began with a doctor’s illegible handwriting, continued with clarification of the order not being recorded and a pharmacist misreading the medicine dose on the prescription, according to the report by the expert investigators at the Institute for Safe Medication Practices. Armando Castellanos’ doctor had written a prescription for 50 milligrams of Cisplatin as part of Armando’s chemotherapy. But he received 10 times that dose, causing his death several days later. The family of the middle-aged Californian man received a settlement from the medical center.

Advice: Read the doctor’s handwriting on your prescription when you get it, and ask the doctor to rewrite clearly anything you can’t read.

Read another overdose story, or read more in Michelle Durand's newspaper article last month.

Warn your friends and family.