Leading Medication Errors & Drugs
According to the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, carelessness or gross negligence are the most significant factors in medication errors.
These preventable mistakes occur at any point along a patient’s healthcare journey and include:
- Prescribing incorrect medication for patient’s illness, injury, or condition
- Giving a wrong dose with consideration for the patient’s condition, weight, and other factors
- Failure to note patient’s allergies, current medication, or addiction issues
- Failure to adequately warn or educate the patient of all associated risks
- Failure to take reasonable measures to avoid dangerous drug interactions
Commonly Associated Injuries & Illnesses from Medical Errors
When patients receive the wrong medication, they don’t see the benefits of the correct medicine. Some potential injuries and illnesses resulting from medication errors include:
- Worsening of current disease or condition
- Adverse reactions ranging from mild to severe
- Disability
- Death
When Medication Errors Become Pharmaceutical Lawsuits
Even the most conscientious and experienced medical professionals make mistakes. Patients sometimes have adverse reactions, such as a commonly reported side effect. These errors and circumstances typically do not meet the standard of negligence needed for legal action.
A pharmaceutical lawyer can evaluate your case to determine if it contains the necessary elements of medical malpractice.
Duty of Care
Healthcare providers owe their patients a duty of care when prescribing and dosing medication. According to accepted medical practices, they should take the same reasonable measures as a similarly trained colleague. When it comes to prescribing medication, healthcare providers must obtain information about a patient’s allergies or other medications they might be taking.
Breach of Duty
When healthcare professionals deliver substandard care resulting in injury or illness from a medication error, they can be liable for breach of duty (negligence).
Causation
Causation is a legal term that shows a clear link between a medical professional’s negligence and a patient’s injuries or illness.
Damages
This injury caused economic or emotional damage (or both).
