Medication Errors Cause Harm to Thousands Annually

Medicines have become a part of life for most Maryland residents, whether they like it or not. Therefore, it can be even more frustrating if they find out the medicine they are having is not correct for their ailment, or could even be making their condition worse. Medication errors harm more than 1,500,000 people across the country annually. Medication errors cover a broad range of mistakes that can be the cause of a medical malpractice suit.

Prescription error

Even though people go to a medical professional to heal, what they don’t realize is that doctors can also make mistakes. Doctors are often overworked and tired, making them more likely to make mistakes. Unfortunately their mistakes can have fatal results. For example, medical professionals may have misdiagnosed an illness, prescribed an incorrect medicine, or an incorrect dosage.

Administration error

While an extra zero or a missing zero may not mean much in many fields, in the medical field it can have dire consequences. It could render the medicine ineffective or cause an overdose. Additionally, if someone has not reviewed the chart properly, he or she may not be aware of allergies or preexisting conditions that could cause an adverse reaction.

Unfortunately, medication errors can go unnoticed for a long time, preventing proper treatment or elongating a treatable illness. This could result in piling medical bills and frustration. One way to hold medical professionals accountable and also get compensation to ease the financial burden may be to file a medical malpractice suit.