Medication Errors

If you believe that you or a family member have suffered an injury as a result of a medication error, please contact us at (877) 699-7800 for a free consultation.

How many times have you left your family doctor’s office with a prescription for medication and been unable to read the name of the drug prescribed or the dosage? In a hospital setting, patients are often unaware of the medications they are receiving until after they have already been given.

Mistakes in the types of medications that doctors prescribe for patients can occur due to poor handwriting, confusion with other drugs with similar names, and incorrect abbreviations. The results of a medication error can be devastating. The Food and Drug Administration reports that approximately 1.3 million people are injured a year because of medication errors.

The FDA studied reports of medication errors that caused deaths from 1993 to 1998. The study found that 41% of the errors (the most common) were caused by an improper dosage of medicine. Giving the wrong drug and using the wrong site of administration were also significant reasons for the medication errors. People over the age of 60 were at greatest risk for medication errors because they often take multiple medications. Unfortunately, medication errors can cause significant injuries with lifelong consequences.

To reduce the risk of medication errors, a person can ask their doctor or pharmacist the following questions:

• The name of the drug being prescribed or administered.
• The correct dosage for the drug.
• The purpose of each drug and the condition it is being used to treat.
• Any interactions with other drugs that are being taken.
• Any special instructions for taking the drugs.
• Any risks or side effects associated with the drug.