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Common Medication Errors that Cause Injuries to Patients

injuries to patients

Doctors and hospitals prescribe and administer medications for many important reasons. Whether you are controlling your blood pressure, managing diabetes, fighting infections, or anything else, medication will likely be a part of your treatment plan. When medical professionals are dealing with many types of medication on a regular basis, the opportunity exists for serious errors to occur.

Medication errors can cause serious harm to patients, including life-threatening complications. If you suffered harm because of a medical mistake, you should discuss your legal rights with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.

Prescription Errors

Doctors write prescriptions on a daily basis, as well as give out sample drugs they receive from pharmaceutical companies. Before a physician ever prescribes or hands out medication, they should:

  1. Review your medical history for any potential risks or side effects
  2. Inquire about any known drug allergies
  3. Inquire about the medication you are currently taking, including over-the-counter products and dietary supplements, to identify any possible adverse drug reactions
  4. Ensure the prescription is properly filled out, including the right patient name, medication name, and dosage instructions
  5. When a doctor fails to properly take the above steps in every case, errors can occur. Patients can have allergic or adverse reactions, they might take the wrong medication or the wrong dosage, and much more.

Hospital Errors

Most patients who are admitted to the hospital receive medication at regular intervals. Nurses and staff members are tasked with keeping track of every pill administered and accurately updating charts to make sure that the next staff on duty knows what medication was given and needs to be given.

Unfortunately, working in a hospital can be stressful and hectic, and there can be many situations that distract nurses from the task at hand. This can lead to a failure to notate medication or other interruptions in patient care. Some medication errors that can happen in hospitals include:

  1. Failing to give the necessary medication
  2. Giving the wrong medication to the wrong patient
  3. Double-dosing a patient

If a patient misses the medication they need, it can have devastating effects if they are already in serious condition. Receiving the wrong medication altogether not only deprives them of their necessary medication but also puts them at risk of adverse reactions to the wrong drugs. Receiving a double dose of certain medications can result in an overdose when it comes to certain drugs. If you sustained preventable injuries or complications due to hospital medication errors, you might have important legal rights to financial recovery, and you should speak with a skilled medical malpractice lawyer immediately.