Medication Error Lawyers in Pittsburgh

The world of pharmaceuticals is vast and complicated. The sheer number of drugs and their various dosages make prescribing the correct medication a delicate exercise. Unfortunately, the complexity of the world of pharmaceuticals allows for seemingly endless opportunities to prescribe the incorrect medication or dosage. Combined with doctors who are overworked, negligent, or unfamiliar with specific illnesses, it is easy to see how and why these errors happen so often.

Below are some common types of medication errors: 

• Inadequate Communication Between Healthcare Providers and Patients: This type of mistake occurs when the healthcare provider fails to provide clear instructions or obtain an accurate medical history before prescribing medication. Other medication errors may be due to illegible or inaccurate documentation related to a prescription or different order, such as a laboratory test or diagnostic procedure order. Illegible handwriting or poor organization of paper records can lead to miscommunication about which drug was ordered for which patient. In some cases, there may be mix-ups in administering medications if more than one healthcare professional is involved in treating a single patient. 
• Incorrect Dosing: Healthcare providers may prescribe the wrong dose based on a patient's age, weight, health condition, or allergies they don't know about; this could lead to an overdose or underdose situation. Certain drugs, such as opioids, can be especially dangerous when given in incorrect doses due to their potential for addiction and abuse. 
• Negligence of Pharmacies and Pharmacists: Dispensing a prescription without checking it thoroughly can result in mistakes, such as giving out the wrong dosage strength or quantity of pills, using outdated labeling, failing to alert doctors if there is a potential interaction with another drug, substituting generic equivalents without notifying the doctor first, and missing essential precautions related to administration and storage instructions for certain medications.

In all cases where medical malpractice related to medication errors has harmed patients, legal action may be taken against any negligent parties responsible for the mistake(s). The ultimate goal behind this kind of litigation is twofold: firstly, victims want justice so they can receive compensation that will help them manage any financial losses associated with their injury; secondly, they also want accountability so that similar occurrences can be avoided in future situations involving healthcare practitioners and pharmacists.

How Medication Errors Affect People

Medication errors can have severe consequences for patients. The effects of medication errors can range from minor inconvenience to potential death or permanent disability. For example, incorrect drug doses may increase adverse side effects, including potentially fatal allergic reactions. In other cases, wrong medications or dosages may lead to toxic effects, such as an overdose or organ damage. Incorrect drug therapy may also cause a delay in the patient's recovery time and additional medical expenses due to further treatment required to correct the error. 

In addition to direct physical harm caused by medication errors, there is also potential psychological and emotional suffering that these errors leave behind. Patients receiving the wrong treatment can experience anxiety and distress due to their lack of trust in the healthcare system. While some patients may be able to recover with no long-term adverse effects, others may suffer emotionally for years after the mistake has been made.