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A $89,000 settlement was awarded to an individual this past week after he was able to demonstrate the prescribed medications resulted in compulsive gambling and excessive shopping habits.
Philip Stevens, 66, of the UK was prescribed Ropinirole, a dopamine antagonist medication -- in 2017 but was not warned of known possible side effects such as impulse control disorder.
Studies have already determined that the dopamine agonists pramipexole and ropinirole, and the dopamine modulator aripiprazole, are indeed associated with an increased risk of developing problematic gambling.
A Mayo Clinic study found that 1-in-6 patients taking dopamine agonists developed new behaviors like compulsive gambling or hypersexuality
Stevens had gambled previously but kept the behavior under control. The Ropinirole resulted in gambling addiction and a lack of discipline.
He also started shopping compulsively for clothes and became obsessed with purchasing excessive amounts of fishing equipment.
"Over the four years that Philip took Ropinirole, he spent thousands of pounds on online gambling websites," a spokeswoman for legal firm Leigh Day solicitors said.
Lawyer Angharad Vaughan said she hoped "important lessons will be learned from this case to ensure that, in future, patients receive all the information they need about the potential side effects of such drugs".
Leigh Day's spokeswoman said the financial settlement was agreed without the doctor accepting liability.
"His gambling became compulsive, and he was betting on anything he could and stopped caring about winning altogether," she added.
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