Walgreen ordered to pay $6 million to family

The Arizona family of a high-school wrestling coach who died of an interaction between two pain medicines has won a $6 million wrongful death award from Walgreen Co.

Lawyers for the family of Coconino High School coach Eric W. Warren argued that the Walgreens pharmacist who filled his prescriptions should have warned Warren and his doctor that the drugs shouldn’t be used together. Technicians should have received a computer warning of the interactions, they argued.

Walgreen says Warren was negligent and caused his own death or that his doctor was negligent in prescribing the medication. He was found dead in his home on Dec. 22, 2002. An autopsy determined he died from a toxic interaction of the pain medicines Tramadol and Methadone, which he was taking for severe pain. Warren was being treated by his family doctor, Ronald E. Parfitt, who reached a separate settlement.

The jury concluded Warren was 1 percent responsible for his own death, Parfitt was 2 percent responsible, and Walgreens was 97 percent responsible. It awarded $2 million each to Warren’s two children and $1 million each to Warren’s parents. Coconino County Superior Court staff said it was one of the largest civil suit verdicts ever in the county.

Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreen said it would appeal the verdict.