The Dangers of Prescription Drug Errors

When you get sick, you generally go to the doctor. You trust that by seeking medical attention, you will be prescribed the medication you need to get better. While this is the case for most people, some individuals become victims of prescription drug errors. These medication mistakes can lead to further complications and death. It has been estimated that medication errors affect nearly 1.5 million Americans every year in hospitals.

Prescription drug errors happen for many reasons. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been monitoring possible problems associated with similar spellings and pronunciations of medications. There have been cases of drugs being substituted for each other because the names of these medications are alike. For example, Zyrtec and Zantac are similarly spelled, but have vastly different uses. When medications are mixed up, the outcome can be grave.

There are several types of medication errors that affect patients. Some of the common prescription mix-ups include the following:

• Incorrect dosage
• Bad drug interaction
• Drug allergies
• Doctor error
• Negligent pharmacist
• Hospital error

Doctors have been known to make mistakes by confusing the names of drugs and writing prescriptions that are illegible. Pharmacists have also been known to make serious errors by misreading the doctor’s instructions or giving the wrong dosage. While these are human errors, these mistakes can be costly for the patient.

If you have been seriously injured from a drug error, you may be able to hold the medical provider accountable for their actions. You should contact an experienced medical malpractice lawyer in Louisville who can review your case to determine who was at fault. Even if you are not sure who was to blame for your medication error, you should still contact an experienced Kentucky malpractice lawyer.

Contact the law office of Gray and White Law at 1-502-210-8942 or 1-800-634-8767 (toll free) for advice regarding your case.