Kentucky Medication Errors: A Frighteningly Common Occurrence

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When you are sick, you likely turn to a medical professional for help. As patients, we trust our health care providers to administer the correct medications. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Medication errors are a very real and prevalent problem in hospitals, doctors’ offices, and pharmacies throughout the country. These errors can even occur at local large hospitals. The results may be emotionally, physically, and financially devastating.  If you or a loved one received the wrong drug, contact a Louisville medication error attorney today who can help protect your legal rights.

Want to understand more about this widespread and hazardous problem? The following are 7 statistics about medication errors:
 

  1. It is estimated that medication errors in hospitals happen in 1 of 5 doses given to patients.
  2. According to the FDA, at least one death every day can be attributed to a medication error.
  3. The CDC indicates that 120,000 people each year are hospitalized as a result of a medication error.
  4. Following a medication error, patients who suffer from adverse drug effects remain in the hospital on average 8-12 days longer than a patient who was given the correct medication. This results in an increased $16,000 – $24,000 in hospital bill costs.
  5. It is estimated that 35% of all medication errors are caused by infusion devices. These devices may have been programmed using the incorrect infusion parameters, without ensuring that the right medication was inserted, or they may have been tampered with by an unauthorized user.
  6. The CDC reports that 82% of American adults take at least one medication every day.
  7. According to the FDA, approximately 1.3 million injuries occur each year as a result of medication errors.

 

After an injury resulting from the wrong medication, you may feel overwhelmed at what to do next. Contact us for guidance through the process of pursuing a claim against the party that gave you the wrong medication. To learn more, call our office at (502) 210-8942 or (800) 634-8767 today for a free consultation.