Medical Prescription Errors

Prescription errors fall into three main categories – dispensing the wrong medication; giving the patient the wrong dosage, and failing to account for known drug allergies or harmful drug interactions with other medications the patient is taking. Several national studies have estimated that up to 8% of medical prescriptions are incorrectly filled. This can result in serious personal injury or death.

A negligence case for medical malpractice can be brought on behalf of the injured person to recover for all his or her injuries. These prescription drug error cases are the same whether the doctor’s error occurred in Philadelphia, Bucks, Berks, Montgomery, Delaware or Chester County Pennsylvania.

We handle cases in West Chester, King of Prussia, Honey Brook, Coatesville, Thorndale, Downingtown, Lionville, Exton, Frazer, Malvern, Paoli, Phoenixville, Devon, Berwyn, West Goshen, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Avondale, West Grove, Oxford, Parkesburg and the surrounding areas.

Pursuing Medical Malpractice Damages

In pursuing damages for pharmacy medical malpractice, Steve Karp and Peter Hart first collect all the medical records from the treating physician or hospital, and the pharmacy. They then consult with pharmacology experts who testify about the toxicity of the prescription drug or dosage received. They also consult with other experts who show that the pharmacist made an error from a clearly written prescription.

Damages may include past and future medical expenses and past and future medical care required to treat the long-term effects of the harmful medicine. Victims can also collect for lost earnings, loss of the enjoyment of life and pain and suffering. If the loved one died, Steve and Peter can help the family pursue a wrongful death claim against the pharmacy.

With today’s technology, software and computer programs should alert pharmacists and doctors to dangerous drug interactions. Additionally, hospitals have adopted procedures to ensure patients receive the right prescription drug in the correct amount. Given the tools and safeguards in place, health care providers have no excuse when patients are given the wrong drug or the wrong dose. However, we at Karp and Hart see mistakes still made over and over again.

Prescription Medication Errors

A prescription medication error can result from a number of factors. Medical malpractice lawyers Peter Hart and Stephen Karp represent clients for the following kinds of negligence:

Missed Dangerous Drug Interaction Alert.
Doctor Error involving the type of drug or the amount prescribed.
Nursing Error involving the type of drug or the amount administered.
Pharmacy liability: Filling the wrong medication, filling the improper dosage, failing to confirm negative reactions with other medications, failing to warn of the side effects of a drug.
Dosage error: Prescribing the wrong dose, mathematical errors resulting in dosage errors, administering too much or too little medication
Anesthesia errors: Administering too much anesthesia resulting in overdose (causing brain damage or wrongful death), administering insufficient anesthesia.
Other prescription malpractice: Abusing chemical restraints at a nursing home or assisted living facility, failing to review a patient’s chart for allergies, ensuring a medication does not pose risk of negative interaction with other prescribed medications, other prescription mistakes.
Dangerous drugs: Prescribing dangerous or defective drugs without warning of the potential hazardous side effects and/or failing to ensure that prescribed medications do not pose threats of allergic reaction.
Giving the incorrect prescription due to misunderstanding.
Giving the incorrect prescription due to illegible handwriting.

Prescription drug errors are so common and prevalent in hospitals, nursing homes and long-term care facilities that it has been estimated that an average of one mistake per patient per day is made. While the vast majority of these mistakes may not lead to serious injury, some prescription drug errors can lead to the disability or patient’s death.

Prescription Drug Mistakes are Preventable

Medical malpractice prescription drug mistakes are a preventable problem, but not enough is done to avoid these errors. Simple steps that could be taken to double check medications and clearly write prescriptions are still not practical by many hospitals and medical providers. As a result of this carelessness and negligence, thousands of Americans suffer serious injuries or die every year.

Patients in nursing homes and long term care facilities are often the most susceptible to these prescription errors. A recent study by the Institute of Medicine found that nursing homes and long term facilities often do not disclose these mistakes to the patient and family.

Physicians, pharmacists, and other health care providers must abide by a standard of care (they must provide careful, informed, decisive care and must warn patients of known risks). Therefore, when a doctor or medical provider negligently prescribes the wrong prescription drug medication, fails to warn the patient of known risks or makes other errors in judgment regarding a medication, the medical professional may be held accountable. Please contact us.