Have you been issued the wrong medication and suffered as a result? Here are four things you need to know right now.
Taking the wrong medication by accident can be a harrowing experience. Most of the time, you might not even notice. If your pharmacist prescribes your medication as normal and you don’t know it, you could be taking chemicals that are bad for your health or are damaging your body. Perhaps your pharmacist has the medication correct and your doctor is the one at fault. Either way, taking the wrong medication due to a medication error and suffering as a result is no laughing matter.
Medication error cases are rare but when they do come up, it’s important that we fight them. If it happened to you, it could happen to someone else. You were lucky. You survived. Would someone with liver, kidney, or heart problems have survived? This kind of medical malpractice ought to be stopped in its tracks.
The 4 Things to Know About Medication Error Cases
Thinking about taking your case further than just a complaint? We advise that you do. Especially if the wrongful medication has cost you further medical bills.
1. Hiring an Expert Could Help
If you have suffered because of your medical practitioner prescribing the wrong medication to you, then you should consider hiring an experienced medication error attorney. This is a specific type of law which requires a finesse and experience. Look for a lawyer with years in the industry and several completed cases behind them for the best results.
2. Error Rates are Low
According to the World Health Organization, errors in dispensing medication represent around 3% of all prescriptions given annually, worldwide. If you find yourself in the 3%, however, that’s of small comfort. Error rates are low, but they do happen. You should report your case both to your pharmacist and to your doctor – but only after speaking with a lawyer.
3. Medical Records can be Changed
There have been incidents of high-profile medical malpractice where doctors have changed medical records. The Joan Rivers case springs to mind. Falsifying medical records does happen, which is why it’s important to speak to a medication error attorney before you report things to your doctor. Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the USA. It’s no surprise that doctors may try to cover their tracks.
4. Gather Your Own Evidence
Since the probability of the culprit denying you were given the wrong medication, it’s important that you gather your own evidence. Take pictures of the prescription slips and the medications themselves. Keep a journal while you are taking it. If you are unwell, make sure you have someone with you who can witness it, or check yourself into a hospital if you need to.
Sometimes, leaving a trail of evidence behind us makes things easier for any medication error case to go ahead. Photographs, videos, and paper records are best for this. Witnesses and reporting your illness to other medical professionals can also help.
