Medication Errors

If you receive a prescription medication that has been incorrectly filled or improperly prepared, the result can be tragic. Medication errors are among the most common medical errors, harming at least 1.5 million people every year, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. The additional expense for treating drug-related injuries occurring in hospitals alone are in the billions of dollars annually. Medication errors are among the most common causes of preventable harm to the American public. The number of wrongful death due to medication errors is predicted to increase as the pressure on pharmacists to do more in less time increases.
 
At The Abelson Law Firm, our medication error lawyers have helped people to obtain fair and just compensation for the consequences of medication errors made by doctors, hospitals and pharmacies. If you or a loved one has suffered from a medication error, please contact us for an initial consultation with a lawyer. We handle cases throughout the greater Washington, DC, Maryland, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania areas.
 
There is a general shortage of pharmacists, and an increasing consumer demand. In addition, mail-order and chain store pharmacies such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Walgreen’s require pharmacists to do much more than just fill prescriptions. This market transition has created a host of problems unique to corporate structure. While rare, in some cases profit motives may unfortunately trump consumer safety.
 
According to the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention, about 1.3 million people each year are injured by medication errors. In a study by the FDA that evaluated reports of fatal medication errors, the most common error involving medications was related to administration of an improper dose of medicine, accounting for 41% of fatal medication errors. Giving the wrong drug and using the wrong route of administration each accounted for 16% of the errors. Almost half of the fatal medication errors occurred in people over the age of 60. Older people may be at greatest risk for medication errors because they often take multiple prescription medications.
Some symptoms of medication errors:

Nausea and vomiting

Allergic reaction

Fatigue

Dizziness

Headaches

Incontinence

Cramping

Loss of consciousness

Paralysis

Stroke

Hemorrhaging

Organ failure

Medication error cases may be complex. A medication error case may arise in a hospital and may involve multiple people who were involved in the prescription, preparation and administration of the medication. While legal cases involving prescription errors tend to center on an individual pharmacist, medication error cases require a litigation strategy and extensive discovery process employed by the Abelson Law Firm.

If you suspect that you or a loved one is the victim of a medication error, please call a lawyer at The Abelson Law Firm, and put our experience and background to work for you.