Is Your Medication Making You Sick?

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Every year, approximately 1.3 million people suffer injury due to medication errors. Yet few people realize the risks that come into play from the time a medication is prescribed to the time it’s picked up from the local pharmacy.

The many people involved in the chain of actions necessary to fill a prescription can complicate the process. Errors can occur, and your medication may be compromised. You may suffer severe consequences due to prescription errors by doctors, nurses, other medical staff or pharmacy personnel.

Causes of Medication Error

There are numerous ways a prescription can go awry. The most common are listed below.

• Your doctor prescribes the incorrect medication
• Medical or pharmacy staff translate the prescription wrongly
• Your doctor gives you another patient’s prescription
• The medicine bottle contains the wrong directions
• The wrong drugs are put in the bottle
• Medical staff fails to identify potential drug interactions or allergies
• Drugs which look or sound alike may lead to confusion

The above are just a few ways that medication errors occur on a regular basis – and they can happen to anyone, regardless of the type of medication needed, medical facility, pharmacy, age or location. For instance, if you are on many medications, some may conflict with others. This can compound your illness and further damage your health. Such an error might even be fatal.

Consequences of Medical Errors

Medication errors can lead to specific problems, including

• Allergic reactions
• Exacerbated symptoms
• Vomiting
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Sleeplessness
• Diarrhea
• Poisoning
• Overdose
• Toxicity
• Deathmedic

Suspicion of Prescription Error

It’s always a good idea to get a second medical opinion about your condition and the course of treatment, particularly when long-term medication is prescribed. And if you find yourself experiencing symptoms that you suspect are due to a wrongly-prescribed medication, seek medical help immediately.

Additionally, those suffering from symptoms of medical error, no matter how minor, should report every instance to their local pharmacy, their doctor and the Food and Drug Administration.

Finally, consider contacting a local medical malpractice lawyer. For instance, patients located in the Maryland region would contact a Maryland personal injury lawyer if they suspect that they are experiencing a problem that could be attributed to a wrongly prescribed medication.

Claims

Pursuing a pharmacy or doctor medication error claim can have many benefits. These may include:

• Ensuring that you receive the proper medical treatment
• Obtaining compensation for further injury, medical bills, pain and suffering, income and other losses
• Making sure medical and pharmacy professionals are held accountable for their mistakes so as to prevent harm to future patients

Medical claims can be complicated, and you, as the injured party, should seek competent representation. Doctors and medical personnel are protected by malpractice insurance and their own legal teams. Their attorneys will attempt to minimize damages rather than compensate you properly for all of your losses. Also, each state has a statute of limitations on medical claims.

Anyone suspecting that their caregivers made a medical error in regard to their medicine or care should seek advice from a qualified and experienced personal injury as soon as possible.

Freelance writer Richard Freeland’s mother suffered mental and physical problems from the cornucopia of medication she’d been prescribed before a savvy doctor diagnosed the problem and eliminated most of them. The attorneys at Price Benowitz, LLP are experienced in representing victims of medical malpractice. Through their website, http://www.maryland-injury-lawyer.com/, you can discover exactly how they can help you and learn more about what to do if you suspect your medication is making you sick.