GP pays £2,000 to compensate for prescription overdose

An NHS doctor has paid £2,000 to a patient for prescribing the incorrect dosage of medication.

The claimant had a history of anxiety and depression, so she started taking Citalopram 10mgs in November 2019. In May 2020, the claimant was still off work due to anxiety, so her Citalopram dose was increased to 30mgs. In April 2022, this was increased again to 40mgs. Records stated that she should take two 20mg tablets together twice a day, which would have been 80mgs daily – a prescription overdose as the maximum daily dose of Citalopram is 40mgs. However, not enough tablets were prescribed for an overdose to occur at this point. 

Where it went wrong

In June 2022, the patient was admitted to a private mental health clinic for four days due to suicidal ideation. In October 2022, she went back to her GP, who again prescribed her 20mg tablets of Citalopram. As before, the instructions were “take two together twice a day”. But this time, sufficient tablets were prescribed for the claimant to take the excessive dose of 4 tablets (80mg/day).

In December 2022, the patient returned to her doctor with increased anxiety and depression due to life events. According to the GP’s notes, they discussed her taking 80mgs of Citalopram daily and agreed a gradual dose reduction.

The patient instructed Attwaters Solicitors to investigate this case of clinical negligence. Acting on her behalf, we claimed that the GP failed to prescribe the correct dosage of medication between October – December 2022.

GP surgery settles the claim

In a formal letter of response, the GP admitted to breach of duty, however denied that the claimant suffered behavioural and emotional changes as a result of the prescription overdose. The doctor provided a formal apology and invited negotiations to settle the claim – an agreement was reached and the patient received £2,000 in compensation. 

We are here for you

If you think you have grounds for a claim, we are here to listen. As demonstrated in this case, our team of specialists can access medical records promptly, evaluate the level of error and ensure you get maximum compensation.

To find out how we can support you, contact our Medical Negligence team on 0330 221 8855 or email enquiries@attwaters.co.uk