Philadelphia Medical Malpractice Lawyers Advocate for Patients Harmed by Medication Errors
A Staggering Impact on Americans’ Health
With modern medicine comes an explosion of new drugs for treating serious ailments. But with these modern miracle workers came a new threat—medication errors. Medication errors occur when a person ends up taking a different medicine or a different dosage than prescribed by the physician, or when the drug prescribed is dangerous to the person because it interacts with other prescribed medications, or because the patient has an allergy or other negative reaction to it.
In the U.S., more than 7,000 people die from medication errors annually. Millions more endure unneeded pain and extended illness from taking the wrong medicine. If you or a loved one has suffered from a medication error, you may be entitled to seek damages from the responsible parties. At McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC, our Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers are here to help. With more than five decades of combined experience, we conduct a complete investigation into every case, working to determine exactly how the error occurred and who was responsible. In every case, we strive to maximize the compensation available for the harm you have suffered. With more than $100 million in settlements and verdicts, our record of success speaks volumes.
How do Medication Errors Occur?
A mistake or oversight can result in a medication error. Many professionals are involved in providing you prescription medicine, including:
- Nurse: Although many prescriptions are electronic today, some physician practices, and in a few cases, federally-controlled substances still require handwritten prescriptions. The nurse writing the prescription and relaying it to the pharmacy may read the type of medicine or dosage incorrectly.
- Pharmacy: The pharmacist may read a handwritten prescription inaccurately. Also, the pharmacy technicians may simply put the wrong pills in a bottle, or label the bottle incorrectly.
- Physician: A doctor may prescribe the wrong medicine due to misdiagnosis. Alternatively, your doctor may fail to review your current medications and prescribe something you’re allergic to, or one that interacts negatively with medicines you’re already taking. Finally, there may simply be a mistake when the doctor enters the electronic prescription, clicking the wrong medicine or dosage.
When investigating a possible medical malpractice claim, our Philadelphia malpractice lawyers examine the entire chain of the prescription process, from the originating physician to the pharmacy.
How can Medication Errors be Prevented?
There a few simple steps you can take to prevent medication errors:
- Ask questions: When receiving care as an outpatient or in a hospital, ask about each medication you’re given. What is the medication’s purpose, and what are the expected side effects? If you’re incapacitated during treatment, make arrangements to have a surrogate do it for you.
- Counseling session: When picking up a prescription from the pharmacy, make sure the labelled medication you receive is what the doctor prescribed. Also, take advantage of the short counseling session pharmacist’s offer while you’re there.
- Keep track of prescriptions: Maintain a list of all prescribed medicines and over-the-counter drugs you take, along with dosages. Take this to the doctor or pharmacist and share it with them at every visit.
Contact Our Philadelphia Medical Malpractice Lawyers Today for a Free Consultation if You Have Been the Victim of a Medication Error
If you or a loved one has suffered any kind of ill effect due to a medication error by a doctor, nurse or other medical professional, call the Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers at McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC today. We can be reached at 215-569-8488 or 302-888-1221, or you can contact us online. We serve clients in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.