Prescription Error Attorneys in Philadelphia, PA
Unfortunately, medication mistakes are among the most common medical errors, especially in hospitals. In fact, the average hospital patient in the US suffers at least one medication error every day. Each year, medication errors contribute to more than 7,000 inpatient deaths.[1]
More than 1.5 million people suffer injuries due to negative drug reactions every year, because of medication errors.[2]
These errors can occur at any point in the medication process.
Medication Errors: One of the Most Common Medical Mistakes
Types of Medication and Prescription Errors
Medication errors happen in hospitals, doctor’s offices, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, Medicare clinics, and pharmacies.
Sometimes a patient is given the wrong medication or wrong dose or given their medicine at the wrong time. Sometimes a caregiver fails to follow drug monitoring information for the patient, giving them several drugs that interact badly.
In hospitals, it is not uncommon for a patient to be given a full-strength drug that is toxic because it was not properly diluted, resulting in death or injury. At other times, a doctor’s poor handwriting leads to misinterpretation of medical records, so that the wrong drug is given to the patient even when they have reported an allergy to that medication.
Medications can also be prescribed, ordered, or labeled incorrectly. They can also be dispensed, distributed, or handed to the wrong patient. The patient might receive incorrect instructions on how to take the drug, or a health professional might fail to monitor its use.
Often, pharmacists are under a lot of pressure from their corporate bosses to fill as many prescriptions as they can, as quickly as possible—which can lead to errors.
Common Types of Medication Errors
- Prescribing Errors: Incorrect drug selection, dosage errors, and prescribing contraindicated medications.
- Omission Errors: Failing to administer a prescribed medication.
- Wrong Time Errors: Administering medication at the incorrect time.
- Unauthorized Drug Errors: Giving a medication not authorized by the prescriber.
- Improper Dose Errors: Administering a dose that is too high or too low.
- Wrong Drug Preparation Errors: Incorrectly preparing a medication before administration.
- Administration Errors: Administering medication by the wrong route or to the wrong patient.
- Monitoring Errors: Failing to monitor a patient’s response to medication.
- Compliance Errors: Patients not following the prescribed medication regimen correctly.
Talk with a Philadelphia Medication Error Lawyer
If you or someone you know has suffered wrongful death or serious injury from a medication error, speak to an experienced medical malpractice attorney immediately who is familiar with handling cases against hospitals, nursing homes, and doctor’s offices.
Gay Chacker & Ginsburg has decades of experience in representing clients with medication error and other medical mistakes claims in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and surrounding states.
We are tenacious in pursuing medication error claims and lawsuits. Our dedicated personal injury and medical mistake lawyers will work hard to obtain medical expert testimony and the necessary medical evidence to prove that medication errors caused you or a loved one injury, losses, disability, or death.
We will work diligently to recover your losses, including lost wages, medical expenses, future treatment, and pain and suffering.
Contact us now to learn more about how we can help in a medication error case. There is no risk or obligation. We charge you no legal fees unless we recover money damages for you.
Call us today at 215-567-7955 for a free consultation with a dedicated medication error attorney, and start your full recovery.
[1] http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/m/medication_errors/stats.htm
[2] http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=11623
