Prescription Drug Errors
Prescription drug errors are no joke. A simple prescription error such as taking the wrong dose of losartan, a conventional medication used for high blood pressure patients, can cause blood pressure to go way below its regular numbers and cause a heart attack.
Long gone are the times where one could trust their healthcare facility blindly. The truth is that the number of patients inside emergency rooms is rapidly growing. Overcrowded hospitals are a widely known problem. From 1993 to 2003, the number of patients in hospitals increased by 23 million. This unexpected surge in over-crowded hospitals might be to blame for the number of medical malpractice incidents.
Prescriptions drug errors, a type of medical malpractice, are not uncommon. Medicinet, an online medical journal, states 1.3 million people are involved in an injury involving a prescription mistake every year. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also found supplying the wrong medication dose caused 41% of deaths related to medications.
Lawyer for Medical Malpractice in Atlanta, GA
If your hospitalization or worsening of condition occurred due to a prescription drug error, you want to seek legal help from a reliable attorney. ReShea Balams is an attorney located in Fulton County who specializes in medical malpractice cases. She will work with your prescription drug error case and find the party liable for the loss in your health.
The Balams Firm dedicates itself to helping you and your family claim your health. If you have a health condition that was doing fine before you took those pills prescribed by the doctor, then you might be a victim of medical malpractice. Seek the help of The Balams Firm to establish your case by calling (404) 445-2005.
Overview of Medical Malpractice in Georgia
- Am I a Victim of a Prescription Drug Error?
- Establishing a Case Against a Hospital or Physician
- Additional Resources
Am I a Victim of a Prescription Drug Error?
Prescription Drug errors involve the physician, or healthcare practitioner, or healthcare facility prescribing or advising their patients about a prescription drug in the wrong way. It could be as simple as prescribing a medicine you are known to be allergic to or giving you the wrong medication from the beginning. Erroneous use of prescribed drugs can also include administering the wrong dose of prescribed drugs or medication name.
A prescription drug error can lead to drug overdoses and death. There is also a common occurrence surrounding prescription drug errors known as multiple medications interference. Taking a medication like acetaminophen or Tylenol, for example, can affect your liver function if taken for a long time. If you are taking multiple medicines or suffering various conditions, then your doctor is aware that other prescriptions might also affect your liver function. You do not want to be carrying three medications that will severally impact your liver organ all at once. In this case, the doctor should conduct blood tests to measure the impact of each of your medications on your organ functions. He or she should assess which medication is a priority, and which are safer to take versus others. Failing to do these measures could mean your doctor was being negligent, so they could be liable for any injuries you’ve sustained.
Healthcare staff or clinicians are often rushing through a visit or the discharge instructions of a patient. They might type the wrong dosage on the computer, or the healthcare staff might even miscommunicate the actual medicine name. Prescription drug errors can also occur inside the pharmacy filling these prescriptions. The reality is that no one realizes they were prescribed the wrong medication amount or name unless they are knowledgeable in healthcare themselves.
Establishing a Case Against a Hospital or Physician
To develop a case against a healthcare facility or pharmacy, you will first need to identify who is at fault for the incident involving the prescription drug error. The parties involved in your accident following your prescription drug error may include a pharmacist, healthcare facility staff, doctor, nurse, or even the drug prescription for wrong labeling on the medication bottle.
In this case, you should address the issue by observing your health patterns. Do you have symptoms? Did you have these symptoms before you began to take these medications? It would help if you spoke to a medical malpractice attorney who will assess the situation with you and determine who might be at fault for the error. Once you and the attorney decide that another party like the clinician, office staff, or pharmacy is responsible, he or she will file a case on your behalf.
Georgia follows a specific regulation regarding medical malpractice lawsuits. Georgia’s statute of limitations, chapters 9-3-70 and 9-3-71 talk about filing a medical malpractice claim. The statute can only consider a lawsuit if the healthcare professional or center who performed this service was authorized to do so under the law. Secondly, the medical malpractice result, such as physical damages or death, must have taken place, at most two years previous to filing the case. Additionally, no lawsuit can be filed if the medical malpractice event is older than five years.
Additional Resources
National Medical Malpractice Advocacy Association (NMMAA) — The National Medical Malpractice Advocacy Association (NMMAA) aims to spread knowledge about medical malpractice events across the country. Within this page you can find a directory full of physicians who work independently. According to the NMMA, these healthcare providers are available following your medical malpractice case.
RX List of Medications Tool — The Rx list of medications page provides insight into common drug prescriptions and the right way to administer most of them. It also identifies the most common symptoms associated with each of the medicines. If your symptoms do not match the common ones found, then you might want to seek medical attention right away.
Attorney for Prescription Drug Errors in the Georgia Area
If you believe you have fallen victim to medical malpractice due to a prescription drug error administration, you have the right to file a case. The Balams Firm understands how important your health is to you and your family. They will analyze your situation and find if this is a case plausible to a lawsuit.
The Balams Firm specializes in medical malpractice cases in the Georgia region and will work with you. ReShea Balams sees clients in Atlanta and Alpharetta, as well as clients in the areas of Milton, Decatur, Lawrenceville, Marietta, East Point, Forest Park, Smyrna, and much more. Call (404) 445-2005 to get a free consultation with ReShea Balams today.
