Every year, thousands of Americans receive the wrong medication when they pick up their prescription. Some people experience only minor side effects, but others experience severe illnesses or even death. Studies estimate that 7,000 to 9,000 Americans die each year from medication errors.
What is a medication error?
A medication error happens when a patient doesn’t receive the right prescription. This can include giving a patient the wrong prescription or the wrong dosage of their prescription. This can also include mislabeling the prescription, prescribing a medication that reacts negatively with another prescription, or not warning the patient about the possible side effects.
What are the most common causes of medication errors?
Many medication errors happen because the pharmacist is distracted while they fill the prescription. They might be talking to a co-worker, dealing with a customer or trying to fill multiple prescriptions at once.
Another common cause of medication errors is illegible handwriting. If the pharmacist can’t read the doctor’s handwriting, they might fill the wrong prescription, which can have severe consequences for the patient. Poor communication can also cause medication errors. The patient might not remember the correct name of the medication, or the doctor might communicate the wrong prescription to the pharmacy.
How can patients receive compensation for medication errors?
A medication error can have severe consequences for the patient. They might experience an accidental overdose or suffer from severe side effects. They might even develop a new illness as a result of the error. If an individual or their loved one has suffered from a prescription drug error, they might wish to seek compensation.
An attorney may be able to help a patient launch a lawsuit against the physician or pharmacy. They might also be able to determine who was at fault in the case.