The pharmacist filled the prescription with Plendil but attached directions with the dosage for Isordil. As a result, Vasquez not only got the wrong drug, but he was directed to take it at eight times the maximum daily dosage, according to court documents. He took it several times, each time complaining to his wife about how poorly it made him feel. The day after he began taking it, Vasquez suffered a massive heart attack. He died several days later, leaving his wife and three teenage children.
Experts say such mistakes are frighteningly common, though no accurate numbers are available.
One reason for the increase in medication mix-ups is the sheer number of drugs on the market. Bruce Lambert, an assistant professor of pharmacy administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago, says there are 100,000 potential pairings of drug names that could be confused. And with around 100 new drugs coming onto the market each year, the potential for mistakes keeps growing. Pitressin, a synthetic hormone sometimes used to control bleeding in the esophagus, and Pitocin, used to induce labor in pregnant women. Amiodarone, an anti-arrythmic, and Amrinone, used in congestive heart failure.