Causes of Pharmaceutical Error and Malpractice
Every day, thousands of prescriptions get filled by professional pharmacists. This could be at your primary care, at a hospital or even your local drug store. While most prescriptions may be filled correctly, mistakes are unfortunately inevitable. Faulty prescriptions may have devastating and long lasting consequences. These errors may leave one with lifelong, debilitating consequences. The wrong prescription may work counter to the intended treatment, they may prolong the illness or cause the illness to be irreversible as well as create new complications medically.
If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of pharmaceutical error or malpractice, you should know that you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and damage. This article will briefly explain some of the most common pharmaceutical errors. For more information, speak to a qualified attorney that has experience in medical malpractice. An experienced attorney will explain your legal options and may also help you file a claim for your injuries.
Top Causes of Error
Patients trust that the medication given to them by their pharmacists is the correct one. Unfortunately, pharmaceutical malpractice can occur through various ways. The following are some of the most common forms of error:
Incorrect drug.
Providing an incorrect drug may cause severe and permanent damage to an unsuspecting patient. By providing an incorrect drug, a person may suffer heart failure or other serious organ damage, including death. This type of error may occur through various careless methods that may involve the following:
- Being distracted while filling the prescription,
- Incorrectly labeling a drug,
- Misunderstanding the physician’s prescription, or
- Mistaking one drug for another.
Providing an incorrect dosage.
The wrong dosage is a common cause of pharmacy malpractice, which may potentially have deadly consequences. Typically, misinterpreting a prescription and misunderstanding measurements causes these types of mistakes.
The wrong directions were given or printed on the medicinal product.
Occasionally, pharmaceutical companies update usage instructions for a particular drug. If this information is not updated in the literature provided with the medication by the pharmacist, there may be the potential for serious injury.
A failure to warn of potential side effects.
A pharmacist owes a reasonable duty of care to his or her patients to inform them as to proper usage of the medications and potential side effects.
Pharmacy errors can occur through many different methods. Consuming an incorrect medication or an incorrect dosage may cause injury and/or have severe consequences. In extreme cases, side effects can include a prolonged illness, organ failure, or even death.
If you have reason to believe that you are a victim of a pharmacy error, seek the advice and support of a qualified attorney. The attorneys at Heiting and Irwin have extensive experience in dealing with medical malpractice claims.
