The Poison Prevention Packaging Act (Act) was passed to prevent unintentional child poisonings. The Act requires special packaging to protect children from injury or illness as a result of handling, using, or ingesting certain drugs and household substances. The Act requires child-resistant packaging for such products. A child-resistant package is one that is significantly difficult for children under the age of five to open.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates medical devices. This includes the development, marketing, and monitoring of medical devices. Medical devices are classified into three categories.
Food-borne illness is caused by pathogens--bacteria (E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Shigella), parasites (Giardia, Cyclospora, Cryptosporidium), and certain viruses (hepatitis A). Typical symptoms of foodborne illness include diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, headache, vomiting, and exhaustion.
A pharmacist has three basic duties: to store prescription drugs properly, to prepare prescription drugs properly, and to dispense prescription drugs correctly. If the dispensing pharmacist fails to perform any of these duties, he/she could be held liable if a patient experiences a drug-related injury. This article discusses pharmacists' liability for the improper dispensing of prescription drugs.
It is legal and common for physicians to make off-label uses of drugs and medical devices. Off-label use refers to the use of drugs and medical devices for purposes not mentioned on the manufacturer's labels.
