What To Do If You Were Prescribed The Wrong Medication

Most people trust their doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to prescribe and give them the right medications. However, there are times when a person receives the wrong prescription, and this can lead to serious consequences. It is important to understand what to do if you were prescribed the wrong medication and become seriously injured or ill. Medical mistakes are a leading cause of death in this country, and victims of this type of medical error should be able to recover compensation for their losses.

There Are Many Medications, But You Need The Right One

Did you know that there are nearly 7,000 total prescription medications available in the US? Each of these medications serves a purpose, and they do certainly save lives. Advances in medicine have helped prevent heart attacks and strokes, ease the pain of cancer patients, and helped battle addiction.

However, taking the wrong medication can lead to significant harmful side effects. This can include organ failure and even death. It is absolutely crucial for medical providers to prescribe the correct medication to a patient each and every time. This is one of those situations where a single mistake could lead to devastating consequences. Not only could a single medication lead to severe side effects, but even a medication that is seemingly correct could lead to major medical issues, particularly if the medication gets combined with another type of medication the patient is taking.

Where Did The Mistake Occur?

If you or somebody you love has been injured or become ill as a result of an incorrect prescription medication, you need to reach out to an attorney immediately. Medical malpractice claims are notoriously difficult, and there will need to be an extensive investigation into the incident to determine what went wrong.

There are many points of failure when it comes to prescribing medications. Some of the parties that could be responsible in these situations include:

• The doctor who prescribed the medication
• The nurse who transcribed the orders into the system
• The pharmacist who filled the medication
• The pharmacy tech who assisted the pharmacist

One of the most widely recognized causes of prescription medication errors is illegible handwritten prescriptions. Additionally, these errors can result from missing information about co-prescribed medications or past allergic reactions to a medication. If medications are transmitted orally, there are many soundalike names that could result in an error. There are also many drugs with similarly-looking names that could be incorrectly dispensed.

Will You Recover Compensation for a Prescription Error?

It may be possible to recover compensation if you have been injured or become ill as a result of a prescription medication error. In these situations, it will need to be shown that a medical professional indeed made a mistake, that they somehow breached their duty of care to the patient, and that the prescription medication error directly caused the patient’s injury or illness.

A skilled Portland medical malpractice attorney can examine the facts of the case and help decide the best steps moving forward. If a claim is successful, a patient may be able to recover compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering damages, and more.