Medical Malpractice Lawyers

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Medication Malpractice

 

Medical malpractice is an act or omission by a health care provider which deviates from accepted standards of practice in the medical community and which causes injury to the patient. In simpler terms, medical malpractice is professional negligence that causes someone harm.

 

Medication errors made by healthcare professionals (most often physicians) are a violation of the trust a patient puts in the doctor and the entire medical profession. Prescribing the wrong medication or the wrong dosage of the correct medication can be a fatal mistake. According to WrongDiagnosis.com, medication errors are an all-too-common form of medical malpractice.

 

• In 2002, 758 medical malpractice payments were made due to medication-related malpractice in the United States
• In 2002, there were 2.2 million adverse drug reactions reported regarding mistakes with medication
• There are an estimated 7,000 deaths annually from medication error, 583 per month, 134 per week, and 19 per day

 

We often think of medical malpractice as blatant errors, such as operating on the wrong side of the body, removing the wrong limb or missing a diagnosis of cancer altogether. However, medication errors, while not always blatant, are certainly pervasive. Clearly, by examining the above statistics, we see that medical malpractice related to medication errors is frighteningly common in our country.

 

The most common error where medication is concerned is the volume of dosage given to patients. Another very common error is a pharmacy dispensing the wrong drug or the wrong dosage of a drug. Other medication errors include errors not directly involving a drug such as:

 

• Diagnostic error, such as misdiagnosis leading to an incorrect choice of therapy
• Equipment failure, such as defibrillators with dead batteries or IV pumps whose valves are easily dislodged
• Infections, such as nosocomial and post-surgical wound infections
• Blood transfusion-related injuries, such as giving the patient the wrong blood type
• Misinterpretation of medical orders, such as giving a patient a salt-free meal

 

Another form that medication malpractice takes is the failure by pharmaceutical companies to properly and thoroughly research a drug's possible risks before placing it on the market. FDA approval of a drug does not mean that it is completely safe. There have been hundreds of FDA-approved drug recalls in recent years. Drug companies have an obligation to assure that their drugs, medications and medical devices are reasonably safe when used as intended by consumers.

 

Click for more information on pharmaceutical errors.

 

Read our news articles related to medication malpractice:

 

If you or a loved one has been the victim of medication malpractice in NY, please contact the experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein Awad & Miklos, P.C. today to schedule your free initial consultation.

 

 

 

Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C.
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