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Baltimore Medication Error Lawyers
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Are You In Need Of A Baltimore Medication Error Lawyer?
The Law Office of Hyatt & Goldbloom has successfully handled numerous medical malpractice claims on behalf of clients injured due to a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or another healthcare provider negligently prescribing, administering, or dispensing medication. When prescription drugs are prescribed to a patient, the healthcare providers involved must take care to administer the proper medication and dosage. Failure to follow the accepted standard of care, at any stage during the prescription medication process, can potentially result in serious or fatal injuries.
Whenever a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider plays a part in prescribing and dispensing medication to a patient, there is an accepted standard of care the healthcare provider must follow. If any one of these providers fails to meet the standard of care, their actions constitute negligence. When medication is negligently prescribed, dispensed, or administered to a patient, the injured patient may be entitled to legal compensation and a Baltimore medication error lawyer will be ready to assist you in your legal process.
What is a Medication Error?
A recent article from the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention defined a medication error as “any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer.”
Believe it or not, recent data has shown that medication errors result in more annual deaths than car accidents in the United States. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recently stated that over 1.5 million people are negatively affected by medication errors every year, and roughly 400,000 preventable medication errors occur at hospitals each year. Additionally, 800,000 medication errors occur in long-term care settings which can be classified as nursing home abuse and 530,000 medication errors involve Medicare recipients in outpatient clinics. Luckily, there are dedicated and experienced Baltimore medication error lawyers who handle these types of medical malpractice cases frequently. A medical malpractice lawyer at Hyatt & Goldbloom will be able to guide you through the legal process and help right the wrongs that were done to you or a loved one.
When and How Do Medication Errors Occur?
Medication errors can happen in a variety of different ways. For example, a medication error can occur when the correct drug is administered, but the dosage is incorrect. Medication errors can also involve the administration of the wrong medication or a failure to give the correct dose in a timely fashion by the victim’s physician. Some medication errors are minimal and the victim can fully recover despite adverse side effects. However, more serious medication errors can result in health complications or fatal injuries. If you’ve been negatively affected by the negligence of your primary physician, contact a Baltimore medication error lawyer today.
Medication errors can occur at any stage of administering prescription drugs. Here are some of the more common scenarios in which medication errors happen:
- Medication errors can happen when the wrong medication is prescribed.
- Patients could suffer serious and irreversible effects when incorrect medication is dispensed.
- Failure to identify drug allergies can be fatal.
- Miscommunication between doctors and pharmacists can result in incorrect medication being dispensed.
- Patients must be monitored to recognize how they are reacting to the drugs. When an adverse reaction is not identified right away, the consequences can be devastating.
- Incorrect dosing information posted by the drug manufacturer can result in serious injury or harm to patients.
- Patients should be informed about the potential side effects of the drugs they are taking so that they can make the right choices about their course of treatment.
- Mislabeled drugs and mistakes made during transcription also commonly lead to medication errors.
Common Types Of Medication Errors In Baltimore
There are many different ways a medication error can negligently injure a patient and require a Baltimore medication error attorney’s expertise. The negligent conduct may come from the prescribing doctor, pharmacist, or nurse. Some common causes of prescription drug errors are:
- Carelessly prescribing the wrong medication
- Unintentionally giving the patient the wrong dose
- Mislabeling the medication
- Failing to properly disclose and/or explain the side effects of a medication
- Failing to take a history of the patient’s prescription drug use
- Dangerously mixing different medications
- Improper monitoring of a patient as the medication is dispensed
2021 Medication Error Statistics
A recent study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information found that over 6,800 prescription medications and countless over-the-counter drugs are available to the public in the United States today. Furthermore, to make practitioner’s responsibility during patient care even more tedious, there are thousands of health supplements, vitamins, herbs, potions, and lotions utilized by the general public daily to alleviate their health issues. With the rising number of health substances in the market, it is expected that mistakes occur when physicians are prescribing medication to a patient. However, this does not discount the obligation to safety or responsibility a physician owes to their patients. If you’ve been a victim of this type of medical malpractice, contact the top Baltimore medication error lawyers today at Hyatt & Goldbloom.
Annually, the United States has 7,000 to 9,000 people die as a result of a medication error. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of additional patients experience a medication error from their physician, but often do not report any wrongdoing because the medication may not have caused any adverse effects or it just simply was not recognized that they were prescribed the incorrect medication. The cumulative cost of caring for patients with medication errors is more than $40 billion each year and affects over 7 million people. All things considered, medication errors are not uncommon even though they may sometimes feel that way. It does not matter if this occurred because of an emergency room error or medical misdiagnosis, if you have been falsely prescribed medication and have been negatively affected, it’s recommended that you call a Baltimore medication error attorney right away.
Who Can Be Liable For Medication Errors In Baltimore
Similar to how there can be various causes for medication errors, there is also a long list of medical providers that can be held liable for prescription drug errors by your Baltimore medication error lawyer. Here is a list of parties that can be held responsible for a prescription drug error:
- The pharmaceutical manufacturer – under circumstances where the manufacturer mislabeled the medication.
- The pharmacy or pharmacist – under circumstances where the pharmacy mislabeled the medication or dispensed the incorrect amount of medication.
- The pharmacist – under circumstances when either of the medical professionals instructed the patient to use the wrong dose of the medication.
- The prescribing physician or nurse – under circumstances where the doctor or nurse prescribed medication that reacts negatively with other medications the patient is taking and/or is allergic to. The doctor or nurse could also be liable for prescribing the wrong medication, the wrong dose of medication, or for failing to inform the patient of known side effects.
- The hospital – under circumstances where their employee’s negligence caused the prescription drug error.
Contact A Baltimore Medication Error Lawyer Today
The Law Office of Hyatt & Goldbloom has decades of experience helping those injured and their families recover monetary damages from medical negligence. Injuries caused by prescription drug errors can vary in nature and degree. Regardless of severity, if you or a loved one has been injured by the negligent conduct of a healthcare provider, you may be entitled to legal compensation. Our medical malpractice team is committed to holding healthcare professionals responsible for their harmful mistakes. Call the Law Office of Hyatt & Goldbloom today and take the first step toward protecting your right to recovery. Consultations are always free and conducted by an experienced Baltimore medication error lawyer.