Lawsuit alleges Lee County pharmacist overdosed girl

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CVS

SOUTH FORT MYERS, Fla. — A Fort Myers family says their toddler was poisoned and hospitalized with an antibiotic overdose because a pharmacist at a CVS mislabeled a prescription bottle.

Alba Botero, the girl’s mother, filed suit Oct. 14 alleging that pharmacist Sameer Maniktala, who works at the CVS on 12255 S. Cleveland Ave., put double the prescribed dose on the label of a medicine for then 2-year-old Emily Rull, causing severe illness. Both Maniktala and CVS are named as defendants.

Rull began showing symptoms — including vomiting, diarrhea and severe pain — shortly after her mother gave her the medication, according to the suit. A few days later, her mother called poison control and was instructed to immediately take the child to the emergency room. Doctors there confirmed the overdose, the suit said.

The girl contracted conjunctivitis in both eyes and a sinus infection and will have health problems for the rest of her life, according to the suit, which cites severe physical, mental and emotional pain, disability and disfigurement. The family is seeking reimbursement of medical expenses in excess of $15,000 as well as damages.

CVS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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