A common reason people sue for medical malpractice is due to prescription drug errors. This can be particularly frightening since we rely so heavily on a doctor’s diagnosis and their treatment plan. Medications need to be thoughtfully prescribed, filled and administered; any harm to the patient resulting from a mistake in that process can become grounds for a lawsuit.
How do errors in medication occur?
There are various types of prescription drug errors, some of which include:
- Doctor prescribed the wrong medication
- Doctor prescribed the correct medication, but the nurse administered the wrong prescription or incorrect dosage
- Pharmacist filled prescription incorrectly
- Medication was mislabeled
- Equipment malfunction (inaccurately distributing doses)
- Prescribing medications the patient is allergic to
- Prescribing medications that directly interfere with other medications the patient is currently taking
Reasons you might decide to sue:
The effects of taking falsely prescribed medications will vary greatly for each patient. Some of those reasons may include:
- Lost wages or inability to work due to side effects of wrongly prescribed medication
- New healthcare issues that derived from incorrect medication
- Needing extra medical care due to error in medication
- Costs associated with extra medical care from drug error
- Pain and suffering cause by drug error
If you believe you have a case for medical malpractice due to an error in medication, contact an attorney right away. Medical malpractice cases can be tricky; having professional legal representation will give your case the best chance possible.
