A patient is suing Pharmasave Drugs for allegedly filling a morphine prescription with pills that were ten times stronger than they were supposed to be, causing partial paralysis, among other health problems.
Merritt resident Douglas William Paterson filed the lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court July 10 against Pharmasave Drugs (National) Ltd., Pharmasave Drugs (Pacific) Ltd., Wu Drugs Ltd. doing business as Pharmasave Drugstore No. 54 and John Doe.
Paterson alleges that on August 22, 2012, he submitted a prescription for 10 milligrams of morphine sulfate at Wu Drugs.
"The defendants provided him with 100 milligram morphine sulphate tablets instead of the correct prescription," he alleges in his notice of civil claim.
He claims that the oral contract that he had with the pharmacy was that its staff would exercise all reasonable care, skill, diligence and competence when dispensing prescriptions.
Paterson's alleged morphine overdose caused him to be put into an extremely deep sleep where he did not have movement, resulting in compression of and damage to nerves in his left arm and permanent paralysis of his left hand and wrist.
He further alleges symptoms of morphine overdose:
- poor balance and trembling;
- laboured breathing, blurred vision and itching; and
- lethargy.
"The plaintiff has sustained and will sustain pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life, loss of earnings and earning capacity, reduced life expectancy, cost of care and assistance and special damages," Paterson alleges in his notice of civil claim.
None of the allegations has been proven in court.
No statement of defence had been filed by press time.
