Michigan Pharmacy Malpractice Lawyers
Medication errors happen all the time. The most dangerous part of medication errors is that many times, the patient may not even know that they are taking the wrong medication. This is of course until they experience adverse side effects and they go to their healthcare provider for guidance. Pharmacies are responsible for ensuring that you receive the correct dosage and the correct medication. When pharmacist errors occur due to a medical professional’s negligence, victims may have the basis for medical malpractice cases. This is when you should reach out to our Michigan pharmacy malpractice lawyers.
Whether you receive the wrong dosage or improper drug administration, your health can be at serious risk. You rely on your healthcare professionals to take care of your body. When you suffer physical harm due to the negligence of a medical professional, it’s time to call the Southfield medical malpractice attorneys of Lipton Law. Call us at (248) 557-1688 today to schedule your free consultation.
Pharmacy & Medication Error Lawyers in Michigan
Types of Pharmaceutical Errors
The term dispensing error refers to medication errors that occur while pharmacists or other medical professionals are dispensing medication. These include:
- Errors of Commission- dispensing the wrong drug, wrong dose, or incorrect entry into the computer system
- Errors of Omission- failure to counsel patients, screen for interactions or ambiguous language on the label.
The three most common dispensing errors are as follows.
- Dispensing an incorrect medication, improper dosage, or the wrong type of dosage
- Miscalculating a dose and getting the incorrect dosage
- Failing to identify drug interactions and other adverse effects
What Are Common Causes of Pharmaceutical Errors?
Much of the problem in drug administration is a breakdown of communication. Preventable medication errors occur because systems for safety prescribing and ordering medication are not appropriately used. A few of the most common causes of errors include:
- Illegible handwritten prescriptions
- Insufficient or missing information
- Incorrect drug or dose
- When prescriptions are transmitted orally, they can sound like other medication names
- Prescription is never transmitted to the pharmacy or a prescription is never filled by the patient
What Happens if My Loved One Suffered a Pain Medication Overdose in the Hospital?
If you or your loved one has suffered harm due to a medication error, you can seek compensation from the negligent healthcare professional by filing a medication errors lawsuit. It’s also important to report the responsible party to the appropriate regulatory agency to prevent others from suffering the same fate. Overdoses can be fatal or have long-term negative impacts on the patient’s health including:
- Brain damage
- Damage to internal organs
- Seizures
- Coma
- Wrongful death
Patient overdoses are very serious incidents. If they occur as a result of medical negligence, the medical professional responsible could be held liable for the damages.
When a patient suffers an injury as a result of medication mistakes, they may have the right to file a claim against the responsible party for prescribing medication, administering medication, or dispensing medication improperly. However, not all medication mistakes warrant legal action. Negligence must be directly involved and responsible for the injury to have a valid medical mistake claim.
When the Pharmacy Incorrectly Fills Prescription Drugs
If a pharmacy gave you the wrong medication and you haven’t taken it yet, that’s a good thing. Catching the mistake before you take the wrong medicine could have saved you from a hospital visit. Call the pharmacy immediately, advise the pharmacist of the mistake and pick up the correct medication. If you did not catch the medication error and take the medication, call your doctor or pharmacist immediately to notify them and to learn about any side effects you should watch for and over what time period you should be looking for side effects. If you experience any reaction to taking the wrong medication you should seek medical attention immediately.
When The Doctor Writes The Wrong Prescription
Healthcare providers can be liable for both prescribing and administering the wrong medication to a patient. They may have made a mistake about what medication or dosage should be prescribed. It can be surprisingly easy to administer the wrong amount of medication. If, for example, any of the healthcare professionals in the entire medication chain mess up even one decimal point, the patient could be administered a much stronger or much weaker dose than what they need.
A healthcare provider could be held liable if their bad handwriting leads to patient harm. Doctors have notoriously bad handwriting, but bad handwriting on prescriptions can cause serious problems. If the pharmacist misreads the prescription, the patient could receive the wrong medication, and whoever wrote the prescription could be liable for any medical care expenses, lost wages, and other damages.
Adverse Reaction to Medication
This type of medication error is usually the fault of the pharmacist. Pharmacists must keep track of a patient’s allergies and all medications the patient is taking. Although your doctor also has this information, pharmacists must look at other medications that you are taking before dispensing your medication.
This is a great reason to consistently use the same pharmacy for all of your medications if possible. That way, your pharmacist will have all of your medication records already and can let you and your doctor know if one of your medications will interact negatively with others.
When the Pharmacist Mislabels Prescription Drugs
Sometimes, pharmacists can accidentally mislabel medications. This could happen either before the medication leaves the manufacturing facility, or at the pharmacy. If a medication is labeled incorrectly, the patient could receive the wrong medication or the wrong dosage. The label may even have instructions that could lead a patient to take their medicine at the incorrect time. If pharmacists mislabel medications, it could lead to a legitimate medical malpractice lawsuit under Michigan law.
Damages for Pharmaceutical Error Lawsuits
If you have suffered ill health as a result of ingesting (or applying, inhaling or otherwise self-administering) the wrong prescribed medication, your medical malpractice attorney may be able to help you gain fair compensation, including:
- Medical costs
- Hospitalization
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disability
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Rehab and therapy
Contact our medication error attorneys today to better understand how to approach your claim.
Experienced Attorneys for Victims of Medication Errors and Pharmacy Malpractice
When a pharmacist makes a preventable medication error due to inattention, carelessness, or inexperience that causes a patient harm, the pharmacist may be held liable for the patient’s injuries. At the office of Lipton Law, our experienced Michigan medical malpractice lawyers can review the details of the medication error that injured you or your loved one and discuss your legal options. Call us today at (248) 557-1688 to schedule your free consultation.
Types of Medical Malpractice
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