Pharmaceutical Errors and Medical Malpractice

Doctors have a vast array of medications at their disposal for treating conditions of all kinds, but these medications are only effective if patients receive the right medication for their particular conditions. Pharmaceutical errors, either on the part of a doctor or a pharmacy, can have dangerous and potentially life-threatening side effects. Any medical professional who incorrectly dispenses medication, causing suffering to a patient, may be guilty of medical malpractice.

Radically different medications can be dispensed as similar-looking pills. Pharmacy technicians are trained to avoid dispensing the wrong medication to the wrong person, but there is no way to completely prevent negligent or reckless behavior. Unless they take all necessary precautions and follow correct procedures, dispensing the wrong medication can result in a patient receiving a medication whose side effects put their lives at risk.

For example, many medications that treat other parts of the body happen to put stress on organs like the liver or kidneys as the body processes them. For people who do not have liver or kidney conditions, medications like that are not dangerous. If such a medication is inadvertently dispensed to a person with a liver or kidney condition, a life-threatening reaction could occur. People with heart conditions may be at an even greater risk from medications that increase blood pressure or heart rate.

Interactions between the wrong prescription and medications the patient already takes can also prove life-threatening. Dangerous interactions can occur because of pharmacy errors, but in many cases they are the fault of the prescribing physician. If a patient has disclosed all of the medications she is taking, doctors are expected to ensure no dangerous interactions will occur.

medical professionals should be held accountable when their mistakes put the lives of others at risk. If you or someone you love has been seriously affected by a pharmaceutical error, you shouldn't have to pay the thousands of dollars in medical bills that resulted from another person's reckless or negligent actions.