Settlement of claim against GP for vitamin D overprescription resulting in seizures

We settled a claim on behalf of a woman from West Sussex against her GP for overprescribing medication for a vitamin D deficiency.

Our client’s consultant physician advised the GP to prescribe vitamin D 800 units per day in the hope this would bring her range back to normal. However, the GP prescribed 50,000 unit capsules, two to be taken each day, which was 125 times more than the recommended dosage. Our client was unaware of the error and took the medication as prescribed to her. 

She began experiencing symptoms of hypercalcaemia (high blood calcium levels) and was eventually admitted to hospital to receive treatment. During her admission, she suffered two seizures which were resolved with the administration of diazepam. She stayed in hospital for nearly three weeks and her biochemical levels took a further six months to normalise. 

It was not until our client visited her physician some time later that the overprescription was picked up as part of his investigations into her condition. 

We assessed the case and, after formal submission of a claim to our client’s GP, a settlement was negotiated.

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