When a family member dies under suspicious circumstances, any details you can recollect may help you pursue justice. One example of a pertinent observation is if you noticed your loved one developed worse symptoms after taking a new medication. While this may not necessarily prove causation, it may strengthen a claim of medical malpractice. If you believe your loved one’s medical condition worsened or they passed on as a result of improper medical care, you should consider the following accounts. In the event you or a loved one feels that you were a victim, do not hesitate to contact a lawyer, like a medical malpractice attorney, to ensure that your case is taken well care of.
Frequency of Improper Medication Use
The federal agency Food and Drug Administration defines medication errors as preventable events that may cause harm to a patient or improper medication use. It is also defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality as an active or passive error that begins with a clinician prescribing a medication and ending with the reception of the medication by the parent.
Studies done at John Hopkins University report that medication error is the third top cause of death. Prescription medication is heavily depended upon in our medical system and there are quite a few ways they can be administered improperly. Here is a short list of common medication errors:
- Failing to monitor for side effects properly
- Administering the wrong drug or the wrong dosage
- Failure to discover a patient’s allergy or drug interactions
- Directing the patient to take the medication through the wrong method
- Alerting the physician of an error too late
Some hospitals and other facilities have technology that warn staff about errors. There are also policies in some places that require verbal confirmation between doctors and nurses to assure that orders are not confused. However, communication may become strained in a busy facility like an emergency room. This can lead to short cuts and little communication that may pose a risk to patients.
Preventable Medication Errors
Unfortunately, most of these medication errors are preventable. Although physicians and other medical personnel are extensively trained, serious and even fatal errors are not uncommon. There are some preventable errors that one should be aware of:
● Poor communication
● Illegible/confusing handwriting
● Unclear labels and packaging on medications
● Inadequate knowledge of conditions and treatments
● Medications with similar names
● Not verifying dosage
Pursuing Damages for Medical Malpractice
Your suffering may have been preventable, and it could have caused you extreme emotional and financial hardship. You deserve compensation for the consequences of improper care and legal assistance can help you determine liability. If you or a loved one has experienced a worsening condition or death due to improper medical care, consult an experienced medical malpractice attorney about your unique case
