In our last post, we began looking at the issue of medication errors, particularly the fact that the electronic systems used by physicians in many hospitals allow a significant number of potentially harmful errors to go undetected. As we noted, not every medication error results in harm to a patient. In many cases, the error is inconsequential or has a minimal impact on the patient. In some cases, though, medication errors can have more serious consequences.
Medication errors can take various forms. An obvious mistake is for a provider to make an incorrect drug selection, but it can also occur that the drug is not administered at the correct time, is administered incorrectly, or that an expired drug is administered. Errors may also occur in reviewing a prescribed drug regimen for appropriateness.
Depending on the type of error in question, there can be a variety of causes for medication errors. According to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, common causes of medication errors include poor physician handwriting, improper transcription of prescription, confusion about drug nomenclature, and inaccurate calculation of drug dosage. Failure of electronic health records systems can, as we’ve noted, also be a cause of medication errors as well. Physicians are not the only possible liable party, either. Other medical staff, including pharmacists, can make errors with medications which end up negatively impacting a patient.
Hospitals, of course, can be expected to attempt to minimize any liability they might have for medication errors, and it is important for patients who have been harmed by medication-related mistakes to work with an experienced attorney to build a strong case and maximize their any damages to which they are entitled.
Related Posts: Failure to diagnose a heart attack, Common forms of defense against medical malpractice claims, Common forms of defense against medical malpractice claims, Dealing with hospital and medical malpractice