Enoxaparin sodium is sometimes known by the brand name Lovenox. It’s prescribed to people in Indiana to prevent issues like deep leg thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms. Often, pregnant women are among the people who take this medication. That’s part of why it’s so concerning that drug maker Apotex Corp. has issued a nationwide recall for it due to a labeling issue on the packaging.
Mistakes in labeling medications have consequences
Consumers trust the information printed on their medications and medical devices. They believe that if they follow the instructions and check the expiration date, no harm will come to them after use. In the case of Apotex, the syringes packaged with enoxaparin sodium for injection were labelled incorrectly.
Instead of marking the syringes at the proper 100 mg/mL level, they shipped syringes marked at 150 mg/mL. To a busy user, it would be a simple mistake to just fill it to the line. Other users might try to estimate where the 100 mg/mL line should be. Either case could result in under- or over-dosing.
Defective drugs and devices can have serious effects for the people who use them. An investigation found that up to 83,000 deaths in America were possibly linked to defective drugs and medical devices from 2008 to 2017. Mistakes like mislabeling can have other effects, too, including disability or illness.
Recovering compensation after a medical mistake
If you or a loved one has been negatively impacted by an improperly labelled mediation or device, it’s prudent to seek legal counsel. An experienced attorney may help you understand if you have a case against the manufacturer. Sometimes, damages can be collected that will cover medical bills and pain and suffering related to the mislabeled drug.