Prescription drugs are a vital part of living with chronic health problems or overcoming acute illness or injury. Around 70% of people are taking at least one prescription, and millions more take at least two. Doctors regularly prescribe medications to treat a variety of ailments, including depression, anxiety, pain, and infection.
However, medication can only help a patient when prescribed and administered in the right dosage. And taking the wrong medication can often lead to even worse health outcomes than taking nothing at all.
Medication errors are common in hospitals, nursing homes, and other long-term care facilities. If you believe a medication error has harmed you, contact Hersh Kirtman Injury Law today to schedule a consultation.
Prescription Errors
The doctor who writes a prescription could make some mistake, such as prescribing the wrong medication or the right medication at the wrong dosage. Many doctors receive illegal kickbacks for prescribing certain drugs, which might influence their decision. Other mistakes stem from negligence or a failure to keep accurate patient records.
Pharmacy Errors
Pharmacists must fulfill a prescription accurately, while also paying attention to how the medication interacts with allergies and any other medication the patient is taking. Pharmacy errors are surprisingly common. Patients could receive the wrong medication or wrong directions. They might also receive inaccurate packaging which confuses them.
Chain pharmacies in particular face intense cost pressures and might not hire enough techs or adequately train them. They also might have high turnover.
Hospital Mistakes
Medication errors in hospitals are preventable. They can also have catastrophic consequences, typically because patients are very sick. Any medication error could cause a patient to need medical intervention, and some will even die.
Medication errors in hospitals often stem from poor data entry or patient records and can be compounded by nursing error. Nurses might administer medication improperly simply out of carelessness or because they are overwhelmed with patients.
Nursing Home Errors
Virtually all nursing home residents are taking at least one medication. In addition to negligence, some medication errors are intentional. As shocking as it sounds, some staff will intentionally withhold medication as a way to punish residents.
Consequences of Medication Errors
Medication errors harm patients in multiple ways:
- Delay appropriate treatment. If a patient is receiving the wrong drug, he or she will not get well until the error is realized.
- Make a patient sicker. Some drugs have negative interactions with other medications, or else they trigger an allergic reaction. They could also make a patient susceptible to infection or falls.
- Require surgery or other medical intervention. A patient who takes the wrong medication could have a heart attack or stroke, requiring immediate hospitalization.
- Cognitive decline. Medication overdose might affect a patient’s cognitive abilities and lead to personality disorders.
- Death. Some medication errors are so serious that a patient can die suddenly. In other situations, an underlying medical condition will worsen because the patient is not receiving appropriate treatment until death is the natural result.
Medication Error Lawyers at Hersh Kirtman Injury Law
If you or a loved one was injured, contact an attorney. A medication error claim should seek to recover compensation for past and future medical bills and other losses, including pain and reduced life expectancy. One of our Boca Raton medication error lawyers will gladly meet for a free consultation.
