A four-year-old boy, who had inadvertently been administered an overdose of iron when he was three weeks old, has been awarded €6,000 damages in the Circuit Civil Court.
Barrister John Nolan told the court that on being discharged from the Coombe Hospital, Dublin, on March 5th, 2009, Anthony Maloney, who had been born prematurely, was prescribed "Fer-in-Sol," a medicine containing iron.
Mr Nolan said when Anthony’s mother, Margaret, went to give him the medicine that she had purchased at ODC Chemists Ltd, Kilnamanagh Shopping Centre, Tallaght, Dublin, she realised there was a difference in the dosage prescribed by the hospital and that provided by the pharmacy.
He said Ms Maloney, of Castlepark, Tallaght, Dublin, had made inquiries with the pharmacy and had been told that the hospital had mis-prescribed the medication dose at 0.16 ml.
The court heard that following the pharmacist’s advice Ms Maloney had given Anthony a 1.6 ml dose, 10 times that prescribed by the hospital.
Ms Maloney said in an affidavit that after Anthony had been given the medicine he vomited. She had taken him to the Coombe Hospital where he was assessed and later discharged.
Mr Nolan said the chemists accepted they had given negligent advice and consented to a settlement offer of €6,000. Circuit Court President Mr Justice Groarke approved it.