From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

Hand v. Krakowski

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Third Department
Jul 8, 1982
89 A.D.2d 650 (N.Y. App. Div. 1982)

Summary

finding a duty when pharmacy failed to warn the customer of the drug's adverse interaction with alcohol where the customer was known by the pharmacist to be an alcoholic

Summary of this case from Allberry v. Parkmor Drug, Inc.

Opinion

July 8, 1982


Appeal from an order of the Supreme Court at Special Term (Dier, J.), entered June 26, 1981 in Clinton County, which, inter alia, granted the motion of defendant Condo's Pharmacy for summary judgment dismissing the complaint. From 1971 until 1977, employees of defendant Condo's Pharmacy (Condo) dispensed certain psychotropic drugs to Marion Mazula, plaintiff's decedent, pursuant to signed prescriptions issued by Drs. Krakowski and Likhite, who are defendants in the action but not involved in the subject motion. It is undisputed that defendants knew that Mazula was an alcoholic during this period. On December 6, 1977, Mazula died at age 55. The autopsy report stated that the cause of death was pancreatitis associated with a severe degree of cirrhosis. Subsequent to the commencement of an action by the preliminary executrix against the doctors, Condo and Kinney Rexall Drugs (Kinney), but before noticed examinations before trial were held or depositions of Condo's employees were taken, Condo moved for summary judgment dismissing the complaint and Kinney's cross claim. The motion was granted and this appeal by decedent's executrix ensued. We reverse that portion of the order which dismissed the complaint against Condo. Initially, we must deal with the issue raised by Condo concerning the adequacy of plaintiff's papers in opposition to the motion for summary judgment. Since the motion was made prior to any disclosure being conducted and the affirmation of plaintiff's attorney attests that the requisite opposing facts may exist (see Siegel, New York Practice, § 281, p 339), we decline to affirm the order of Special Term on the basis of plaintiff's failure to make a sufficient evidentiary showing (see CPLR 3212, subd [f]). The standard of care which is imposed on a pharmacist is generally described as ordinary care in the conduct of his business. The rule of ordinary care as applied to the business of a druggist means the highest practicable degree of prudence, thoughtfulness and vigilance commensurate with the dangers involved and the consequences which may attend inattention (17 N.Y. Jur, Drugs and Cosmetics, § 60, p 183). Here, the decedent's pharmaceutical records identified her as an "alcoholic". Yet, Condo, during the 10-month period preceding decedent's death, issued to her 728 units of psychotropic drugs knowing that such opiates are contraindicated with the use of alcohol. "[A] 'contraindication' refers to a circumstance under which the drug must never be given. It is absolute and admits of no exceptions" ( Baker v. St. Agnes Hosp., 70 A.D.2d 400, 402). Such conduct, in our view, could be found to constitute a breach of a druggist's duty of ordinary care in that it knowingly ignores the danger and consequences of ingestion by an alcoholic of prescription drugs commonly recognized to be contraindicated. Defendant Condo's reliance on Bichler v Willing ( 58 A.D.2d 331) is misplaced. Bichler, so far as is relevant here, dismissed plaintiff's negligence cause of action because the pharmacist filled a single prescription precisely as ordered by plaintiff's physician and, under the facts present there, had no duty either to test or inspect the drug or warn the pregnant plaintiff that the drug might be harmful. Here, Condo knew that the decedent was alcoholic and knew, or should have known, that the prescribed drugs were contraindicated and, therefore, extremely dangerous to the well-being of its customer. Clearly, under these circumstances, the dispensing druggist may have had a duty to warn decedent of the grave danger involved and to inquire of the prescribing doctors if such drugs should not be discontinued. Since the interrelationship between prescribing physicians and pharmacists is highly professional and rests upon a comprehension of the intricate compounds that make up a narcotic drug, we cannot exclude the possibility that trial testimony of the defendant doctors and druggists might not justify the use of the prescribed drugs in this case. Accordingly, the case in its present posture does not lend itself to summary disposition. Order modified, on the law, by reversing so much thereof as granted defendant Condo's Pharmacy's motion for summary judgment against plaintiff, and motion denied without prejudice to renewal upon completion of disclosure, and, as so modified, affirmed, with costs. Mahoney, P.J., Main, Casey, Mikoll and Yesawich, Jr., JJ., concur.

Bichler v. Willing ( supra) also dealt with causes of action for breach of actual and implied warranties as well as an action in strict products liability, actions not pleaded in the case at bar.


Summaries of

Hand v. Krakowski

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Third Department
Jul 8, 1982
89 A.D.2d 650 (N.Y. App. Div. 1982)

finding a duty when pharmacy failed to warn the customer of the drug's adverse interaction with alcohol where the customer was known by the pharmacist to be an alcoholic

Summary of this case from Allberry v. Parkmor Drug, Inc.

reversing order granting summary judgment to the pharmacist on the basis, inter alia, that a dispensing druggist may have a duty to warn a customer that a prescribed drug is contraindicated and to inquire of the prescribing doctor if such drug should not be discontinued

Summary of this case from Fagan v. Amerisourcebergen Corp.

recognizing a possibility of a duty on a pharmacy to warn an alcoholic patient because it knew or should have known that the drug prescribed to the alcoholic patient was contraindicated for individuals who were alcoholics

Summary of this case from Downing v. Hyland Pharmacy

In Hand, a pharmacy dispensed drugs which were contraindicated with alcohol to an alcoholic, resulting in the patient's death. It was undisputed that the pharmacist had personal knowledge that the patient was an alcoholic.

Summary of this case from McKee v. American Home Products

In Hand, the court emphasized that the drug was contraindicated, "refer[ring] to a circumstance under which the drug must never be given. It is absolute and admits of no exceptions[.]'" 89 A.D.2d at 651, citing Baker v. St. Agnes Hosp., 70 A.D.2d 400, 402, 421 N.Y.S.2d 81 (1979).

Summary of this case from McKee v. American Home Products

In Hand v. Krakowski, 89 A.D.2d 650, 453 N.Y.S.2d 121, the patient's "pharmaceutical records identified her as an ‘alcoholic’ " and yet the defendant-pharmacist issued 728 units of an opiate "contraindicated with the use of alcohol" (Hand v. Krakowski, 89 A.D.2d at 651, 453 N.Y.S.2d 121).

Summary of this case from Abrams v. Bute

In Hand v Krakowski, 89 A.D.2d 650; 453 N.Y.S.2d 121 (1982), the pharmacy was found liable where its records indicated that plaintiff was an alcoholic, but the pharmacist still dispensed a medication strictly contraindicated for such a condition and failed to warn the plaintiff of the dangers.

Summary of this case from Stebbins v. Concord Drugs
Case details for

Hand v. Krakowski

Case Details

Full title:SUZANNE W. HAND, as Preliminary Executrix of MARION MAZULA, Deceased…

Court:Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Third Department

Date published: Jul 8, 1982

Citations

89 A.D.2d 650 (N.Y. App. Div. 1982)
453 N.Y.S.2d 121

Citing Cases

Abrams v. Bute

Accordingly, these cases are merely instances where the complaint failed to adequately allege that…

Morgan v. Wal-Mart Stores

Id. at 561. While a majority of courts that have considered whether a pharmacist has a duty to warn a patient…