Who Is Responsible for Medication Errors?

We usually assume that when our doctor writes us a prescription for medication, it is in our best interest to take it.

The truth is medication errors occur all of the time. Doctors who prescribe, pharmacists who prepare, and nurses who administer medication are all responsible to make sure that it will cause us no harm. A patient could have a serious allergic reaction to some medications or, if the wrong amount is given, suffer from an overdose. If you think you may have been the victim of a medication error,  take the matter to a medical malpractice lawyer who can assess your claim and determine if medical negligence was a factor.

• It has been suggested that for every 5 doses of medication administered in a hospital, 1 will be wrong.
• At least one person dies every day from a mistake with their medication.
• Each year around 1.3 million people are injured from a medication error.
• The healthcare industry spends 2 billion dollars a year correcting preventable medication mistakes.

How Medication Errors Happen

A misdiagnosis is just one of many reasons why a patient may receive the wrong medicine. In some instances a medication is prescribed that does not mix well with one that the patient is already taking. Make a point to let every doctor handling your care know of any medications you are already on, even those sold over the counter. Pharmacists also make mistakes and sometimes put the wrong dosage in a patients’ prescription. Or in a case where the packaging of one medication is similar to another, may mistakenly give you the wrong medicine entirely. In hospital settings, nurses are most at risk for medication negligence as they are ultimately the one responsible for administration. Lack of attention can cause them to mix up medications between patients or cause them to give the wrong dosage. Infusion devices, where medicine is administered through an IV, cause about 35% of medication errors in hospitals by being wrongfully programmed by the attending nurse. Pay careful attention to what kinds and amounts of medicine you are being given and ask questions if you have concerns. Complications from the wrong drugs or an overdose can dramatically hinder your recovery. A knowledgeable medical malpractice attorney can help you ascertain who was at fault if you suffered injury from medication complications.

Missouri Medical Malpractice Lawyers

A Missouri man now suffers from memory loss and a lack of concentration after being administered an excessive amount of morphine. The morphine caused him to go into respiratory failure from which he needed to be resuscitated. His medical malpractice suit was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. In order for his claim to be successful, his Missouri medical malpractice attorney had to show negligence on the part of the medical technician who programmed the pump and prove that the resulting injuries to the patient dramatically worsened his medical condition.

Do not blindly assume that all medicine is good medicine. Protect yourself from medication injury by being upfront with your physician about known allergies and previous adverse side effects. Check the labels carefully and compare them to your prescription form and never take more than what the doctor has prescribed. If you do suffer from an injury as a result of your prescribed medicine contact the Zevan and Davidson Law Firm. One of our medical malpractice lawyers can evaluate your case for free and help you determine how to proceed with your case.

Contact us online or call us at (314) 588-7200.

photo credit: Amanda M Hatfield