title: Accountability and medicinal products 2: civil law.
abstract: Lyndsey Bohanna, 23 years, had mild depression and was prescribed Prozac by doctors to combat insomnia and fatigue. Two months later during a routine check-up a junior doctor changed her prescription. He gave her an antidepressant, dothiepin, which is for severe depression and should not be used with Prozac. It is also an antidepressant with one of the highest chances of overdose. Nine days later she was found dead. An independent review found a host of errors during her treatment at the hospital. The junior doctor had not asked the consultant for advice and had not explained to the patient the risks associated with her new medication. He also failed to inform her GP of how many tablets should be given. What is the law?
authors.affiliation: University of Glamorgan, UK.
authors.forename: Bridgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dimond
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000506:poisoning; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy; D004308:Dothiepin / Q000506:poisoning; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008318:Malpractice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012941:Social Responsibility
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D005473:Fluoxetine; D004308:Dothiepin