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A Guide To Pharmacy Claims

By Marlon Cooke. Last Updated 23rd June 2025. Welcome to our pharmacy claims guide. In this guide, we answer the question, “Can I claim compensation if the pharmacy gave me the wrong medication?”

We first define pharmacy negligence and what criteria need to be met for someone to start a claim of this nature. We then look at examples of instances that are classed as medical negligence in a pharmacy and how it could possibly occur.

Furthermore, we provide a list of what types of evidence can best support this type of medical negligence claim. We also take a look at what factors might be considered when calculating medical negligence compensation. To conclude this guide, we discuss the benefits of our No Win No Fee solicitors.

To find out whether your pharmacy negligence claim is eligible, please contact our advisors. Our advisors are available for a chat 24/7, just simply:

Bottles of different medication on pharmacy shelves.

Select a Section:

Pharmacy Negligence – What Is It?

As medical professionals, pharmacists owe a duty of care to anyone who seeks treatment, or purchases medicine through them. Per this duty, they have to perform their jobs in a way that meets minimum expected care standards.

If a pharmacist breaches this duty and you suffer from unnecessary harm due to this breach, you may be able to sue the responsible pharmacist for their negligence. An example of this being if a pharmacy gave you the wrong dosage for your medication and this led to you falling ill. You could be eligible to make a medical negligence claim to seek compensation for your caused illness, and the effect that the illness had on your life.

The following section goes into more detail about the different ways that pharmacy negligence could occur, but you can reach out to one of our advisers at any point to receive a free claim evaluation.

What Types Of Pharmacy Error Compensation Claims Can You Make?

Causes that may result in a pharmacy compensation claim could be:

  • Administrative errors – Usually made by junior members of the pharmacist staff, who will not be medically qualified. However, the pharmacist responsible for the pharmacy is also responsible for making sure junior staff do not make critical mistakes.
  • Dispensing errors – In these cases, the pharmacist will have given the patient the wrong medication. Either by giving them entirely the wrong container or filling a container with the wrong medication.
  • Transcription errors – We have all heard the old jokes about a doctor’s handwriting. Unfortunately, when a pharmacist misreads a prescription, they could end up providing the wrong medication.
  • Prescription errors – These are rare in the UK, as pharmacists are not allowed to prescribe medication for their customers.

These are the most common ways that pharmacy errors occur. If you have been the victim of any of these, then Legal Expert can assist you by making a damages claim on your behalf. Call us on the telephone number at the end of this guide to find out how to claim.

Top Tips For Proving A Wrong Prescription Claim

This section focuses on examples of evidence that you can gather to help support your claim. In order to be awarded compensation for damage caused by receiving a wrong prescription, you need to be able to establish medical negligence.

For that reason, to build a strong case to receive settlements for the wrong prescription being administered, you could gather various pieces of evidence.

Here are some examples of evidence you can acquire:

  • A copy of the wrong prescription – Being prescribed the wrong medication could have a negative effect on your health. Having the prescription itself can be a very valuable piece of evidence to present during your claim.
  • Medical records – These may contain information on your original condition. They can help establish whether or not the medication you were prescribed was suitable.
  • Independent medical assessment – This needs to be carried out as part of your claim. Information such as the extent of your injuries and how long it may take you to recover will be included in the report. If you enlist our services, our lawyers can help arrange this locally for you.

Get in touch if you need any more examples or information on evidence gathering.

What Can A Pharmacy Negligence Claim Include?

When you make a compensation claim for compensation for dispensing error by a pharmacy, your settlement may consist of special and general damages, thus:

  • General damages: The harm you endured. We’ll discuss this type of damages in the next section.
  • Special damages: The financial loss caused by the harm.

What Falls Under General Damages?

General damages are the category of damages that contains all of the physical and psychological manifestations of your compensation claim, including but not limited to:

  • Pain and suffering – This relates to the physical and psychological harm itself, meaning all of the short-term and long-term symptoms of taking the wrong medication. For instance, you might develop anxiety or depression after taking the wrong medication and not knowing how well you will recover.
  • Long-term disability – If the medication has caused lasting or permanent effects on your health.
  • Loss of amenity – Relates to how the harm has affected your day-to-day activities and overall quality of life.

If you’d like further information about general damages, please feel free to speak with an advisor. Our advice services are live 24/7, so you can always be sure to get a quick response.

A woman sits on her hospital bed after being harmed by a pharmacy error.

Settlements For Wrong Prescription UK

A drug dispensing error could have far-reaching effects on your life. If you’ve suffered harm due to a wrong prescription, the settlements for wrong prescription in the UK in a successful claim will depend on the severity of the harm and the continuing impact on your life. As mentioned, this part of a claim is known as general damages, which a solicitor can value by using the Judicial College Guidelines.

The JCG document publishes suggested compensation brackets for many kinds of harm, based on factors like severity and type. In the table below, you can find some of these guideline brackets (with the exception of the top row, which doesn’t come from the JCG). Since those brackets are only suggestive, this table should only be used as guidance.

HarmSeverityAmount
Multiple severe types of harm along with special damages (like lost income)SevereUp to £1,000,000+
SightTotal blindnessIn the region of £327,940
KidneyLoss or serious, permanent damage to both kidneys (a)£206,730 to £256,780
Loss of 1 kidney (c)£37,550 to £54,760
Female reproductive systemInfertility with sexual dysfunction (a)£140,210 to £207,260
BladderComplete loss of control and functionUp to £171,680
Seriously impaired control£78,080 to £97,540
DeafnessTotal hearing loss in 1 ear£38,210 to £55,570
SpleenLoss of spleen (a)£25,380 to £32,090

Other Example Settlements For Wrong Prescription In The UK

If you have incurred financial losses due to your injuries and can prove these costs, you could include them in your claim. This would be under special damages and could include travel expenses, private medical costs and loss of income.

For more information about what your claim could potentially be worth, get in touch with us today. Our advisors can offer a free claim estimate based on your specific circumstances.

How Long Do Pharmacy Claims Take?

The time it takes to settle pharmacy claims depends on the individual circumstances of each case. These factors might relate to your specific experience of pharmaceutical negligence and the legal process of making a claim itself. For some pharmacy compensation claims, the length of a case may depend on:

  • Whether there are any disagreements during negotiations over compensation.
  • If the defendant accepts liability for the harm you have suffered.
  • The severity of the harm, especially if you are still in the process of receiving treatment, as legal professionals may need to wait before arranging for an independent medical assessment on your behalf.
  • The amount of evidence provided, how difficult it is to obtain, and whether it is conflicting.

There are instances where a claimant is unable to wait for the settlement of their case due to difficult financial circumstances resulting from the harm they endured. However, an interim payment may help with this. This payment allows eligible claimants to receive a proportion of their compensation before a case has concluded if they look likely to win or if the defendant has accepted liability.

If you work with one of our solicitors, they can explain when an interim payment is appropriate and potentially help you to apply for one. Get in touch with our advisors today to discuss pharmacy negligence compensation claims and how long they take to settle. All enquiries are handled free of charge, so what do you have to lose?

Pharmacy Negligence Cases – No Win No Fee Pharmacy Claims Experts

If you’ve been harmed by a medical mistake due to a pharmacist’s negligence and have decided to claim, we recommend you seek legal assistance. Choosing an experienced solicitor can have a positive impact on the outcome of your claim. It could, therefore, be beneficial to use solicitors who have successfully handled pharmacy negligence cases in the past.

Our solicitors at Legal Expert have years of experience in handling all types of claims. They can also offer their services on a No Win No Fee basis through a Conditional Fee Agreement. In short, that means you are not required to pay any upfront or ongoing solicitor fees for their work. You also won’t have to pay these fees if you don’t get compensation.

If your claim wins, you will pay your solicitor a success fee for their work. The fee comes out of your compensation, but it’s kept small as the percentage taken is legally capped.

Why Legal Expert Can Help You

If you have suffered unnecessary harm because of a pharmacy error, we can help you claim the compensation you might be eligible for. We have done this for thousands of people in the past, and we can do the same for you.

We try to get you the very maximum level of compensation we can, based on the specifics of your particular case, and we will always keep you updated on whatever we are doing on your behalf to move your claim forward.

Call Legal Expert on the number below to learn how you can become another one of our happy clients and receive the compensation you deserve.

A solicitor talks about making pharmacy claims with their client.

Talk To Us Today

Are you ready to seek settlement for the wrong prescription? Or have you suffered because of other pharmacy errors? Either way, learn more about making a claim by getting in touch with our team of advisors day:

Useful Links

Below are full guides to making compensation claims for clinical negligence:

You can also access these external resources:

Other helpful guides:

Pharmacy Compensation Claims FAQs

Please keep reading for some answers to frequently asked questions about pharmacy compensation claims.

How Do Pharmacy Claims Payments Happen?

The insurance company for the pharmacy would usually make payments to patients who file successful claims.

How Do I Sue A Pharmacy?

You can speak with one of our medical negligence solicitors at any time about suing a pharmacy.

What Is Negligence In Pharmacy?

This is where an action or lack thereof unnecessarily places a patient’s health at some level of risk.

What Happens When A Pharmacy Makes A Mistake?

At this stage, the patient could look at making a compensation claim against the pharmacy.

What Is Pharmacist Misconduct?

This is where a pharmacist acts in a way that falls short of the minimum standards of care expected of them.

How Many Mistakes Do Pharmacists Make?

They don’t happen often, but pharmacists across the board do make a small percentage of errors over time.

What Is Lack Of Documentation For A Claim?

This includes any documentation that supports or even discredits the patient’s attempts to receive a safe prescription.

Can A Pharmacist Reject A Prescription?

This is possible if the pharmacist feels that the medication would cause harm to the patient.

Thank you for reading our pharmacy compensation claims guide.