Pharmaceutical malpractice or medication errors can cause serious illness and sometimes death in patients. Children and the elderly are at greatest risk for dying from these mistakes. A 2013 article published in Forbes magazine estimates that over 1 million Americans are harmed by prescription and over the counter drug errors and 7,000 people die yearly from this type of malpractice.
In a study published by the FDA, improper dosing, dispensing the wrong drug (look alike drugs), and improper administration of the drug accounted for 41% present of all fatal pharmacy errors.
These are frightening statistics. Medication error rates inside hospitals are even greater.
Follow these tips to help guard against becoming a victim of pharmaceutical malpractice:
1) Pick up prescriptions during “off hours” when the pharmacy is not busy. This will allow the pharmacy techs to double check your medications before giving it to you. They are required to do this but many techs who were surveyed admitted to skipping this step when the pharmacy is busy.
2)Ask your pharmacist questions about your medication if you are unsure of dosage or how you should take the medication.
3)Use the same pharmacy when possible, especially if you have severe allergies. Inform your pharmacist of your allergies. Do NOT rely on the computer system to do it for you.
4)Ask your doctor to send prescription orders electronically or to type prescription orders. Do not accept handwritten prescriptions.
5)Be your own advocate. If your drug doesn’t look like you expected or if the drug name is different than what you expected, call your pharmacist and/or doctor. You may have been given the wrong medication.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a medication error, call The Thomson Law Firm at Are Medication Errors Preventable today for a free consultation.
