Medication Errors

Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Little Rock, Arkansas

When you require medication, you should be able to trust your health care providers to prescribe and/or administer the proper drugs in the correct doses.

Although entirely preventable, medication errors cause harm or wrongful death to thousands of patients yearly and account for nearly one quarter of all medical malpractice cases. If you have been harmed or a loved one died due to a medication error, the Little Rock medical malpractice attorneys at the Duncan Firm may be able to help you gain the justice and financial compensation you deserve.

Common Medication Errors

Medication errors can contribute to serious illnesses, physical injuries and even death. The most common prescription drug errors include:

• Prescribing or administering the wrong medication
• Prescribing or administering the incorrect dosage of medication
• Prescribing medication in improper combinations
• Incorrectly filling a prescription or confusing similarly named drugs
• Providing incorrectly labeled drugs

These errors may be made by doctors, pharmacists or other attending health care providers.

Common Causes of Medication Errors

There is really no excuse for medication errors, however there are a number of reasons for their occurrence, including:

• Failure to obtain a complete patient medical history
• Miscommunication of prescription
• Failure to administer proper medication
• Failure to administer medication correctly or in a timely fashion
• Failure to administer medication in the correct dose

While it’s just to expect medical professionals to provide the correct medication in the proper dosage, you can also play a role in preventing harm from medication errors.

Preventing Medication Errors

It’s always a good idea to double-check your actual medication against what you have been prescribed and told by your doctor. Here are additional steps you can take to help prevent medication errors:

• Alert your physician to any other drugs you are currently taking prior to starting your prescription
• Read the prescription and have your doctor confirm it
• Verify your dosage with your physician
• Copy the prescription and double-check it against the provided medication

If you believe you suffered harm due to a medication error, please contact the experienced Little Rock, Arkansas, medical malpractice attorneys at the Duncan Firm for a free case evaluation.