As many as 7,000 people die each year in the United States as a result of medication errors or incorrect prescriptions, according to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Why is that? Most often it is overworked, under or unqualified staff rushing and not paying attention, illegible handwriting, nurses administering another patients medication, failures to look into potential drug interactions or contraindications. None of which justifies the harm that can be caused by misfiled prescriptions.
According to the law, pharmacists and medical professions have a responsibility to their patients to practice within the standard of care set by their profession. Such standards seek to establish proper procedures for ensuring that pharmacists fill, compound, dispense, and label prescriptions correctly. Predictably, when they do not meet the standard of care, errors happen and people get hurt. In fact, medical research shows that 90% of all prescription errors are preventable when medical professionals adhere to the proper guidelines.
Common prescription or medication errors include:
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Dispensing the wrong medication
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Giving the patient the wrong dosage
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Failing to identify harmful drug interactions
An improper dose of certain drugs, or wrong medications can result in severe adverse reactions, leading to hospitalization, organ damage, chronic pain, permanent disability or even death.
What to do if you have been given improper medication: Be sure to save the bottle or package the prescription came in, even if the medication has already been used up. Save any receipts or directions that came with the prescription, and record any effects that you notice after taking the drug, or unusual symptoms you have experienced lately that may be related.
Contact Us.
The South Carolina prescription and medication attorneys at Furr & Henshaw have extensive experience in prescription error cases. Contact us if you or a family member has suffered injury or damages as a result of a medication error.
