A Florida woman was tricked into having an abortion by her boyfriend when he disguised pregnancy-terminating pills as antibiotics. The man now faces murder charges.
Reeme Jo Lee’s pregnancy was confirmed by her boyfriend’s father, who is an obstetrician. Lee was excited to become a mother, but her boyfriend, John Andrew Welden, pleaded with her to terminate the pregnancy.
She maintained her resolve and decided to keep the baby. She was six-weeks pregnant when her boyfriend brought home a pill bottle that he said contained an antibiotic. The label on the bottle supported the boyfriend’s claims and said that it was prescribed by his father.
Lee unknowingly had taken a medication that is designed to treat stomach ulcers and is often used to abort pregnancies. Her boyfriend disguised the pills using a fake label. Just hours after taking the pill, she was in the hospital and was told that she suffered a miscarriage.
Welden is now facing murder charges and a civil suit. He might be penalized with prison time of up to 14 years.
According to NBC News, Welden had help carrying out the plot. He confessed that he asked an employee at the local pharmacy to fill the prescription and mislabel it as an antibiotic.
He also indicated that the pharmacy employee knew what Welden planned to do. Lee has filed a personal-injury lawsuit against the pharmacy.
When most people think of personal-injury law, they think of car accidents, defective products and surgical errors. However, just like surgeons and other doctors, pharmacists have a responsibility to patients: to prevent prescription errors.
Their fundamental job, in fact, is to ensure that proscribed medication is delivered to the right patient for the right reason. They also are responsible for making sure the patient understands how to take the medication safely.
Pharmaceutical negligence can be just as deadly as diagnostic errors and other types of medical malpractice. More than 90,000 people die every year as a direct result of medication mistakes. By conspiring with Welden, the pharmacy became an accessory to the crime.
It’s a sad fact that prescription errors are not that uncommon. Nursing homes are frequently the site of similar issues.
The pain and suffering caused by this type of malpractice can be horrific, as some medications cause extreme side effects. If you or a loved one has suffered because of a prescription error, you may be entitled to compensation.
At Gerson & Schwartz Law Firm, we provide victims of negligence with unparalleled service and support. To schedule a consultation, Call Us At (877) 475-2905 Today!