MEDICATION ERRORS

To fall victim to medication errors is a terrible thing. It can cause injury, the escalation of an illness, even death. And unfortunately, it is not uncommon at all to find yourself on the receiving end of a medication error.

A medication error would usually come from one of two different sources - a physician or a pharmacist. When the physician commits an error with regard to medication, it may be because he has made a mistake, subtle or otherwise, in diagnosing a patient, and has prescribed the wrong drug to treat whatever condition the patient has. This certainly can fall into the area of medical malpractice, and taking the wrong medication is just one of many results of that.

Even if your doctor has prescribed the correct medication, in the correct dosage, a mistake can be made on the other end - at your pharmacy. Communication is very important here, as the pharmacist is working off a prescription slip usually given to him by the patient. The failure to read that correctly can result in the wrong pharmaceutical product being given out, or the wrong directions on how to take it. If the pharmacist does not understand what is one the slip, proper procedure is to call the physician or the patient.

Pharmacists are trained and licensed and understand what their proper procedure is. They should have some basic knowledge about the medication you are about to take. They should know what the side effects can be, how much of it you should take, the frequency of the doses, the effects of missing a dose, how it should be stored, how the medication will interact with food or other drugs you may be taking, and the proper generic versions of the medication. If the pharmacist misinforms the patient about these things, there could be liability. And if you notice, responsible pharmacists will want to know if you have any questions about the medication when you pick it up.

If you or a loved one is the victim of a medication error, you may indeed be entitled to compensation for losses and damages. Don't hesitate to contact us to investigate what rights you may have in a situation like this. Fighting for you - that's what we do, at Ronaldson & Kuchler.

For more information relating to medication errors
Contact , Ronaldson & Kuchler Attorney Law Offices of Chicago, Illinois