Top Medication Errors You Can’t Ignore

Medication errors pose a significant threat to patient well-being, undermining trust in healthcare providers and their systems. These errors encompass mistakes in prescribing, dispensing, administering, or monitoring medications, endangering patients' health. Shockingly, they contribute to at least one death daily and harm around 1.3 million individuals annually in the US alone.

Although often unintentional, some instances of medication errors may constitute medical malpractice. Such errors can lead to severe health issues, prolonged hospital stays, or even fatalities. Understanding when medication errors become malpractice is vital to holding medical practitioners accountable.

If you or a loved one has suffered due to a medication error, seeking counsel from a medication error lawyer is crucial. By understanding your legal rights and pursuing a medical malpractice claim, you can seek justice and rightful compensation for your suffering.

Understand the Various Types of Medication Errors

Medication errors encompass various scenarios where different parties share responsibility for the mistake's occurrence. Below are some prevalent medication errors:

• Prescribing the wrong medication: Instances where healthcare providers fail to adhere to proper patient identification protocols, resulting in patients receiving medications meant for others or different from the intended prescription.

• Incorrect dosage: Patients may receive inadequate doses that fail to address their condition effectively, or excessive doses, increasing the risk of complications.

• Neglecting to review medical history: Healthcare professionals may overlook crucial patient information, such as allergies or contraindications to specific medications, leading to adverse reactions.

• Wrongful prescription and administration of contraindicated medicines: These medications can trigger adverse effects due to existing conditions or interactions with other drugs, ranging from allergies to severe complications like blood clotting.

These medication errors stem from various factors like communication breakdowns, misinterpretation of prescriptions, lack of drug interaction knowledge, insufficient training, and confusion over similar drug names or appearances. While mistakes are inevitable, negligence leading to such errors poses unacceptable risks to patient safety.

What Do Contraindicated Medication Errors Mean?

"Contraindicated" may not be a term you encounter daily, but essentially, it signifies medications that could harm you due to interactions with other drugs or your medical history. If a doctor prescribes such medication unknowingly, consulting a medication error lawyer for legal advice on potential action against the doctor may be warranted.

While no doctor intentionally prescribes contraindicated medication, here are two common reasons for such errors:

1. Incomplete review of medical history: Doctors may overlook critical details like test results or past diagnoses, missing potential risks. Regularly reviewing medical history, though repetitive, serves as a safeguard to ensure comprehensive care.

2. Lack of awareness of medication interactions: Despite their expertise, doctors can overlook drug interactions or new research findings. Continuous education and awareness are crucial for avoiding such oversights.

Different types of contraindications exist:

• Absolute contraindications: These medications pose severe risks with no reasonable circumstances for use, such as severe allergies or medications conflicting with impending surgery.

• Relative contraindications: While posing potential risks, the benefits of prescribing these medications might outweigh the cons, depending on the situation. For instance, antibiotics might cause discomfort when interacting with another medication, but their benefits could outweigh the risks in certain cases.

What to Do If Your Doctor Prescribed the Wrong Medication

Dealing with the aftermath of taking the wrong medication can be daunting, but being proactive is critical for your well-being and potential legal recourse. Here's what you can do if you or a loved one has fallen victim to medication errors:

• Prioritize medical treatment: Despite the error, follow a doctor's advice for necessary treatments, tests, or therapies. Prompt medical attention is vital to address any adverse effects and mitigate further complications.

• Compile medication list: Create a comprehensive list of all current prescription medications to identify potential interactions, a common cause of medical errors. This information aids in pinpointing the root of the issue.

• Consult a medical errors attorney: Many patients refrain from legal action due to existing medical expenses, inadvertently relinquishing their rights. An attorney can assess whether negligence led to medication error, gather pertinent medical records, and offer invaluable insights into your legal options.

Navigating Medication Errors? Let Our Medication Error Lawyers Guide You 

While some may escape unscathed, medication errors can have devastating consequences for others. If you've suffered an injury due to such an error, reach out to HHP Law Group without delay.

Our dedicated medication error lawyers are ready to explore your legal avenues and advocate for your rights. From holding accountable those responsible for your injuries to seeking compensation for medical expenses and suffering, we're committed to supporting you every step of the way. Contact us today to begin your journey towards justice and recovery.