773-365-0040
What Is A Medication/Pharmaceutical Error?
We rely on prescriptions and over-the-counter medications to treat various medical conditions. As patients, we hold a great deal of trust in our pharmacies and doctors to ensure that our prescriptions are filled correctly. However, each year thousands of individuals become ill or die as a result of medication errors. Victims of medication and pharmaceutical errors are patients that receive the wrong drug, incorrect dosage, and medications they have allergies to. These errors can be a result of negligence on behalf of a pharmacist, nurse, physician or other caregivers.
How Do Medication Errors Occur?
Medication is a precise science. Errors in the timing, dosage, administration, prescription or identification of the proper drugs can result in devastating injuries or death. It is the responsibility of the pharmacist, doctors, nurses, and other care professionals to properly prescribe, distribute, and administer medication properly. The following situations are the result of negligence that cause medication errors:
- Inexperience
- Inattentiveness
- Mixing up medical records
- Poor penmanship
- Understaffed medical facilities
- Using the wrong method of medication administration
- Labeling errors
- Mistakes made in lab work or handling lab results
- Overdose/under-dose
- Failure to screen for adverse recreational drugs
- Administering medication without food
- Administering medication at the wrong time of the day
- Injection errors
- Combining doses
- Skipping doses
- Failure to seek emergency care when needed
- Failure to identify side effects of a medication
- Failure to monitor a patient’s condition accordingly
Medication Errors Are Preventable
If a health provider takes their time to do a proper screening of a patient’s current drug intake, past medical history, and other health issues, medication errors can be avoided. In fact, if proper procedures are followed about 90% of medication errors can be avoided. Careful screening of a patient’s current prescriptions and drug usage, medical history and past health issues could prevent medication errors.
Recovering Damages For Your Injuries
The consequences for taking the wrong medication or the wrong dosage, can be devastating. Medical malpractice often leaves individuals and loved ones unable to perform regular duties and activities. We understand that the last thing you want to concentrate on is filing a law suit. However, it is important to understand that you have the legal right to take action against the doctor, nurse, pharmacist or other health provider responsible for your injuries. Our experienced team of Chicago medical malpractice lawyers is qualified to help you manage your medical malpractice case with the care it needs. If you have been injured due to a medication error, please call us at (877) 365-0040.
