A pharmacy in Colorado is being blamed for death of an 8-year-old. The boy's mother has alleged the pharmacy inadvertently gave her son ADHD medication in a dose 1,000 times higher than what was prescribed, leading to his death.
Caroline Steinbrecher has alleged Good Day Pharmacy in Loveland gave her son Jake 30 mg Clondine last October that caused a reaction. Jake was prescribed ADHD medication and never had a reaction before. His prescribed dose was 0.03 mg. Following intake of the medication in higher dose, Jake's condition warranted hospitalization.
Doctors found his brain had swelled while tests revealed abnormally high amounts of the drug in the boy's body. Jake however recovered and returned to normal living before being hospitalized earlier this month. He died June 8. His family attributes Jake's death to dosing error.
"It wasn't a mistake, it was a sentinel error," Caroline Steinbrecher reportedly said.
"Jake and his family suffered dearly during his initial hospitalization, but the family was unprepared for the long term consequences which included his sudden death by an autoimmune response believed to have been triggered by the [pharmacist's] error," the family said in a press release.
The family also said the pharmacist who handed Jake down the medication continues to practice with her license intact. The pharmacy reportedly admitted to making an error. The Steinbrecher family has decided to speak out against medical negligence. A memorial fund has also been instituted for children who wish to learn dancing but cannot afford it.
"He loved, absolutely loved, to dance. When brought to the emergency room, his only concern was missing dance practice," Jake's obituary reads.
