Medication Errors

Medications can be life-saving, but they can also be life-threatening when not prescribed or given appropriately.  Unfortunately, the numbers may be under reported. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found medication errors in more than one out of every 18 prescriptions ordered for children.  In another study by Harvard  researchers, data showed half of the patients had a medication error when they went home after being discharged from the hospital.  These results can be devastating.

Mistakes can happen in a variety of ways, and can happen at home or in the hospital:

• A doctor can write a prescription for the wrong medication
• A doctor can write a prescription for the wrong amount of the medication
• A nurse can give you the wrong medication in the hospital
• A nurse can give you too little or too much of the medication
• A pharmacist can fill the prescription incorrectly

Also, a medication may be right to treat a condition, but may not be right for you:

• You may be allergic to the medication
• You may have an adverse reaction to the medication
• Other medications you are taking may cause a dangerous interaction

If you think you have been harmed by a medication error, contact Rosen & Spears to have your claim evaluated.