Hundreds of people die every year in the United States as a result of negligent medication mistakes (medical malpractice). Feldman & Pinto’s Philadelphia Medication Mistake Lawyers handle cases arising out of medication errors made by doctors, physicians’ assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
According to a report by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), mistakes in the prescription or administration of medicines or drugs cause at least one death every day and an estimated 1.3 million injuries every year.
If you were injured or made ill by a medication error, Feldman & Pinto’s Philadelphia Medication Mistake Lawyers may be able to assist you with a legal claim against the responsible healthcare professional or institution. To learn if you have the basis for a malpractice lawsuit, contact Feldman & Pinto for a free consultation with one of our Philadelphia Medication Mistake Attorneys.
Mistakes made when Prescribing Medication
Doctors, physicians’ assistants, and nurse practitioners often make errors when prescribing drugs to patients.
If a medication prescription mistake causes injury or harm to the patient, the patient may have a valid claim for medical negligence against the person who made the error as well as the clinic or hospital that employed the professional.
Here are some examples of mistakes in prescribing medicine that may cause injury or death to patients:
- Prescribing a drug that does not treat the patient’s condition and that causes the patient harm
- Prescribing the wrong dosage of the proper drug
- Prescribing a drug that the patient is allergic to
- Prescribing a drug for a patient at high-risk of contracting an illness or disease that can be caused or made worse by the drug
- Prescribing a drug without considering a patient’s previous medical conditions
- Prescribing a drug before ordering certain tests or without considering test results
- Prescribing medicine that causes a dangerous interaction with another drug the patient is taking
Mistakes made when Administering Drugs
Many hospitalized patients regularly receive medications/ drugs from hospital nurses. Errors made in the administration of medications often lead to patient injury and even death. Here are some common drug administration mistakes that cause harm to patients.
- Giving a patient the wrong drug or an incorrect dose of the right drug
- Skipping a dose of a patient’s medicine or giving the patient a double dose (giving a prescribed medication at the wrong time intervals)
- Using an inappropriate or unsanitary technique to administer a drug
- Giving a patient a drug that has expired or has otherwise been compromised
- Failing to keep accurate records of drug administration
- Failing to institute and enforce adequate protocols (direct hospital negligence)
Negligent Monitoring of Medication Effects
If a doctor or other treating professional fails to monitor the effects on a patient’s body of a drug or drugs the patient is taking, the patient may suffer serious harm that could have been prevented.
A doctor may be found liable in a medical malpractice lawsuit for the patient’s illness or injury caused by the negligent monitoring.
Patients who are especially susceptible to this type of injury are people in high-risk categories for certain illness or diseases and people who are taking several medications.
Contact Feldman & Pinto‘s Medication Mistake Lawyers (Malpractice)
Feldman & Pinto’s Philadelphia Medication Mistake Attorneys have been helping clients injured by medication errors achieve justice from negligent healthcare professionals and hospitals for more than 20 years. Contact our MedMal Lawyers today for a free consultation with one of our Medical Malpractice Lawyers.