Man Sues CVS Claiming Prescription Mix-Up Made Him Go Blind In One Eye
The 65-year-old man is suing CVS Pharmacy claiming he was blinded in the left eye after being given anti-bacterial ear drops to treat an eye infection, KHOU-TV Houston reports (warning: video autoplays).
The man, who suffers from a variety of ailments, sought treatment at a local Houston hospital in 2012 and was given a prescription to help his pink eye/conjunctivitis.
But instead of receiving cortisporin opthalmic suspension – a common conjunctivitis treatment – at the local CVS, the man’s attorney claims he was given neomycin-polymyxin-HC, a treatment for bacterial ear infections.
The lawsuit shows the original packaging and instructions that came with the solution the man received from CVS. The packaging identifies it as an “EAR SOLN” and instructs the user to “INSTILL 3 DROPS IN EACH EYE TWICE DAILY FOR 5 DAYS.”
Upon using the drops, the man’s caregiver said he immediately felt pain and was rushed back to the hospital emergency room.
According to the suit, documentation in medical journals and pharmaceutical websites regarding the ear infection treatment clearly state that it should never be placed in the eye.
Doctors confirmed that the man is now blind in his left eye. His caregiver says the man now has problems with pain and depth perception.
“He used to be fully capable of operating day-to-day on his own,” the man’s caregiver says. “And now he looks to me to support him in everything that he does.”
The man’s attorney tells KHOU-TV that they are waiting to hear from CVS.
In a statement to the news station, a CVS rep said it could not comment on matters involving pending litigation.
Man claims CVS mistake cost him his sight [KHOU-TV]
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