Unfortunately, we MUST have an advocate with us when we enter a health care facility. Regardless if it is a doctor’s appointment, lab work, outpatient surgical center, hospital, or just everyday care from a practitioner. It is not safe to be a patient and not have a second set of ears with us to direct our care. When we do not feel well and entrust in another’s care for us; there is a certain amount of trust given and we should not extend that trust. It is just not safe to be a patient alone because there are many patients; nurses and doctors have lives that can’t help but affect their decisions and efforts, we should have someone we trust with us to keep us safe. The National Coordination Council for Medication Error Prevention considers a medication error as any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm. As humans we know their intent is good and it takes an incredibly special person to be a healthcare worker/advocate; however, we are human and mostly we mean no harm. Regretfully, humans take on too many responsibilities and errors do occur. Even though they are not intentional, it happens. Therefore, there are consequences because families are affected.
There are many reasons that Prescription errors occur:
- Failure to properly read the doctor’s handwriting
- Putting the wrong prescription into the pharmacy computer
- Dispensing the wrong medication
- Dispensing the wrong instructions on the medication
- Failing to detect new medications adverse interaction with existing medications
- Medication administration errors
- Entering inaccurate or incomplete information about the patient
There are several people who can be held liable for the prescription error. It could be the doctor who wrote it wrong or his/her handwriting may not be legible. It is more common that there is inaccurate dosing. Too much or too little of a drug could cause grave harm to a patient. Prescribing a drug for an accurately diagnosed condition is the ultimate goal, however, to prescribe a drug for a misdiagnosed condition could cause permanent damage and possibly death. In a hospital or a nursing home, the majority cause of prescription errors is by the nurses and staff. Incorrectly administering of medications is the leading cause of overdoses in these facilities. Different medications must be administered in certain ways. Such as if a drug needs to be given by a shot in a specific location, it is the nurse that must administer the medication properly. Giving a shot in the wrong location or wrong method is considered negligent and the licensed nurse will be held liable.
Medical malpractice law in Florida is complicated and strictly specific. Proving medical negligence is difficult. The litigation process is exceptionally long, and the compensation is very costly. The Law Office of Perry & Young has over 70 years of experience and we will strive to ensure that you receive full and fair compensation. Call us or contact the law firm through our email site for a free consultation. https://perry-young.com/ (850) 215-7777. Get more free legal advice from LawCall.