Baltimore Medical Malpractice Lawyers: Prescription Errors on the Rise
May 23, 2017
Every day, thousands of people have their prescription filled at pharmacies across the country. From antibiotics and pain medication, to antidepressants and other medications that treat diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and high blood pressure, these medications provide relief from a wide range of illnesses and chronic diseases. However, these same medications can cause serious health problems if the medical professional responsible for writing or dispensing the prescription made a medication error. Unfortunately, the incidence of medication errors are rising at an alarming rate.
Medication errors can include prescribing the wrong drug, dispensing an incorrect dosage amount, providing incorrect instructions on how to administer the drug, or a failure to monitor the drug once the patient has started taking it. For example, a 26-year-old Georgia resident filed a lawsuit after she was prescribed the wrong dose of a medication used to treat her depression. As a result of the error, she developed a rare skin disease which caused her skin to painfully blister and fall off. While a reaction this extreme is rare, medical errors are not. From 2010 to 2016, there was a 462 percent increase in the number of medication errors, according the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Patients Urged to Speak to Pharmacist About Medication Concerns
If you have a question or concern about a medication that has been prescribed for you, do not hesitate to address those concerns with your doctor or the pharmacist. Whether you question has to do with potential drug interactions, what time of the day is best to take the medication, or if there are serious side effects that you should expect, the pharmacist is there to help you and to answer your questions.
According to the lead author of a report from the Institute of Medicine, there is a lot that can go wrong from the moment the physician writes the prescription to the time it is filled by the pharmacist. A medication error occurs when there is a breakdown in the medication process. Mistakes can happen when choosing the drug, dispensing it, administering it, and monitoring it. In addition, some experts think that pharmacists are allowed to fill too many prescription in a day, which can lead to medication errors. As a result, they are pushing for stricter rules that will limit the number of prescriptions a pharmacist can fill in a shift.
Baltimore Medical Malpractice Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Advocate for Victims of Medications Errors
If you or someone you loved has been injured or become ill as a result of a medication error, it is in your best interest to contact the highly skilled Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton at your earliest convenience. We have a proven track record in obtaining successful outcomes for our clients and we will work tirelessly to secure the maximum financial compensation you deserve. We will determine who the negligent party is and hold them liable for your injuries, ensuring that your rights are protected every step of the way. To schedule a free, confidential consultation, do not hesitate to call us at 800-547-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.
Our offices are located in Baltimore, Columbia, Glen Burnie, and Towson, allowing us to represent medical malpractice victims in Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Maryland’s Western Counties, Southern Maryland, and the Eastern Shore, as well as the communities of Catonsville, Essex, Halethorpe, Middle River, rosedale, Gwynn Oak, Brooklandville, Dundalk, Pikesville, Nottingham, Windsor Mill, Lutherville, Timonium, Sparrows Point, Ridgewood, and Elkridge.
