Acetaminophen is a frequently used pain reliever for children, but a medication error on the part of a doctor or pharmacy can result in serious injury and even death. In Louisville, a medical malpractice lawyer can help you sort through the causes of your child’s medication error and work to hold the responsible party accountable.
Child Dosage
Although acetaminophen is available over the counter, physicians may write a prescription for the medication to help with your child’s cold, sore throat, toothache, reaction to vaccinations, or to reduce a fever.
The danger when children take this drug is that they can be overdosed quite easily. The right dosage is usually based on the child’s weight and age. How the medication is metabolized is related to the size and age of the child. It’s extremely important for parents to ask the doctor questions before leaving the office to pick up the prescription. Learn directly from the doctor the dosage instructions and what to look for in the case of an adverse reaction.
Doctors’ Mistakes Can Cause Medication Errors
Issues may arise when a prescription calls for the wrong dose or incorrect dilution. A doctor inadvertently may misplace a decimal point as he scribbles out the prescription, or bad handwriting may lead the pharmacist to dispense the wrong drug.
Doctors also may overlook acetaminophen’s adverse effect when taken with an incompatible medication. Parents should remind the doctor of any other drugs their child is taking or any allergies the child has shown in the past.
Check for Pharmacy Errors
It is not uncommon for a pharmacy error to occur. An acetaminophen prescription may be filled with the wrong concentration of the medicine or incorrect dosing instructions. Before giving your child any acetaminophen, check the label, verify it with the pharmacist, and be sure that it matches what the doctor told you.
In today’s world of fast-paced healthcare and mega-pharmacies, parents have to look out for their child’s well-being themselves. When a doctor or pharmacy makes a mistake, they need to be held accountable.
Talk to a Louisville Medical Malpractice Lawyer
When harm arises from a medication error by a doctor or pharmacist, you have every right to seek justice and compensation. The attorneys at Gray and White Law have been helping protect the rights of the injured for decades. Call for a free consultation today – 1-502-210-8942 or 1-888-450-4456.