Hmmm, interesting.....................

Naturally I am looking at this from a UK perspective, as it is the only one I know

1. catch by administrators, I meant the hospital administrators. Our laws hold them responsible for the professional actions of their employees/agents. The only situation where the IT guys would carry the can alone, was if they failed to implement policy and directives in such a way that the administrators could not reasonably be expected to know. For example: deliberate lying. They would, however, share the blame because as supposed professionals, they should have known better.

2. There is no mention of whether the records actually had details of the allergy. If they had, it would have been marked on the patients clipboard/chart over here, along with the prescribed medications. If a patient is admitted, and no records are available (as in this case) the doctor is entitled to assume no allergies exist. Over here, people with those sort of allergies have a "medicalert" medallion or bracelet...............if they were not wearing it, then the coroner would return "misadventure". The doctor would not be liable.

Over here a doctor is expected to treat the sick, and if there are no records, he goes with what he's got. That approach is fully supported by our laws.