Pharmacy accused of quadrupling dosage

The mother of a minor girl claims her daughter faced a life-threatening condition after a pharmacist filled a prescription for quadruple the amount of medication needed.

Brandy Pickell and Monty Pickell filed a lawsuit on behalf of minor Aliana Pickell on April 1 on St. Clair County Circuit Court against Evers Pharmacy doing business as Dauber Pharmacy and Jessi Weber.

In their complaint, the Pickells allege they visited Dauber Pharmacy to pick up a prescription of Dapsone for their minor daughter on July 23. Aliana Pickell had been prescribed 25 milligram tablets of the medication, according to the complaint. However, Weber filled the prescription for 100 milligram tablets, the suit states.

The Pickells did not realize the pharmacist’s mistake until after Aliana Pickell had ingested two tablets of the 100 milligram medication each day for one week, the complaint says. In turn, Aliana Pickell developed life threatening complications from methemoglobinemia, which is a blood disorder in which an abnormal amount of hemoglobin is produced, the plaintiffs claim.

Dapsone is normally used to treat either dermatitis herpetiformis, which is characterized by a chronic blistering of the skin, or leprosy. Because of her ingestion of the 100 milligram medication and the elevated levels of Dapsone in her system, Aliana Pickell has been forced to take an alternative, extremely toxic drug, which is substantially more expensive than Dapsone and has drastic side effects, according to the complaint.

Due to Dauber’s and Weber’s alleged mistake, Aliana Pickell incurred substantial medical costs, experienced extreme pain and suffering, lost her normal life, and became permanently disabled, the suit states.

The Pickells blame Dauber Pharmacy and Weber for causing Aliana Pickell’s injuries, saying they negligently failed to recognize that a daily dosage of 200 milligrams would be harmful, if not fatal, for an adolescent female; failed to examine the medication to determine the proper dosage was being transferred to the Pickells; and failed to follow the pharmacy’s standard policy and procedure for accurately filling Aliana Pickell’s prescription.

The Pickells are seeking a judgment of more than $250,000, plus costs.

Rhonda D. Fiss of Belleville will be representing her.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 13-L-169.