Medicine plays a critical role in maintaining health and enabling millions of people to manage conditions and improve the quality of life. Medication errors compromise patients’ health directly and have the potential to cause emotional trauma. And more often than not, they add unexpected financial strains to the patient’s woes.
Knowing the types and medication errors help. It also helps to determine liability and the legal steps you can take. This guide will discuss all these aspects and give you some tips to protect yourself. Read on to learn more about medication errors.
Common Types of Medication Errors
- Prescription errors. This occurs when a physician prescribes medicines incorrectly, gives the wrong dosage, or does not consider certain important factors, such as allergic reactions or drug interactions. A misinterpreted symptom or test result is another avenue under which these many medication mistakes occur.
- Dispensing errors. Pharmacists play a critical role in ensuring that patients receive the proper medications. Most medication errors involve dispensing errors, where the patient receives the wrong medication or the wrong dose or directions.
- Administration errors. These errors typically happen in hospitals or care institutions when a patient receives the wrong medication from a nurse or caregiver, the wrong dosage, or perhaps the wrong time and method.
Liable Parties in Medication Errors
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Doctors
It is the doctor’s responsibility to diagnose and prescribe appropriate medications. If a doctor prescribes the wrong medication or dosage due to misdiagnosis or the failure to check for drug interactions or allergies, they may be held liable for the resultant mistake.
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Pharmacists
Pharmacists must fill prescriptions accurately. They might be held liable for any injury sustained if they prescribe incorrect drugs or fail to instruct patients on proper use. Other areas of dispensing errors involve misreading prescriptions, mix-ups with medication bottles, or failure to verify details properly.
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Nurses and caregivers
Nurses and caregivers provide medications in a hospital or nursing home. A nurse may be found liable if she administers the wrong medication, the wrong dose, or the wrong method of administration, such as giving an oral pill intravenously.
Legal Recourse to Victims
It is vital to know one’s rights and legal options if you or someone you know has suffered an injury because of a medication error. Victims of such errors may receive compensation for their suffering, medical costs, and other damages. Here’s how:
Seek immediate medical care
If you believe a medication error has occurred, seek immediate medical attention. You will receive the proper care and treatment to limit harm. The error and the impact will be documented, which will be crucial as your case is presented later.
Consult with a medical malpractice attorney
A lawyer specializing in medical malpractice cases can help you decide whether your case is worth pursuing or not. They will assess the preventability of the error, who is liable, and how to pursue the claim. Lawyers offer free consultations; you can use them to learn more about your case.
File a medical malpractice claim
You may be entitled to file a medical malpractice claim if your medication error resulted from someone’s negligence. A medical malpractice lawsuit is filed to hold the party responsible for their actions.
If a medical malpractice claim is successful, the injured party might receive compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
The Bottom Line
Knowing you have legal options to seek justice is important if you’ve been affected by a medication error. You can hold the responsible parties accountable by taking immediate action, documenting the mistake, and consulting with an experienced lawyer.
You deserve compensation for your losses—don’t hesitate to explore your legal options.