Evolution of the duty to warn--one state's experience.

OBJECTIVE

There exist, in many jurisdictions, confusion and uncertainty with regard to the legal duty of pharmacists to warn their patients of the potential risks of their medication. Review of the legal evolution of this duty in one state with recent experience is instructive.

DATA SOURCES

Published opinions of the Tennessee Court of Appeals.

CONCLUSIONS

The cases are consistent with the idea that if the pharmacist warned about risks that had a reasonably foreseeable potential of occurring, then there would be no liability.