Medical malpractice can take many forms and is not limited to hospitals and emergency rooms but can also happen with medications in pharmacies. Some of the most common medication errors happen during the prescription and fill process for medications. The harm caused by medication errors ranges from adverse reactions and long-term side effects to fatal overdoses and death. Consider discussing this with a Florida Medical Malpractice Attorney if you believe your situation involved Pompano Beach medical malpractice.
Common Causes of Florida Medication Errors
Doctors and pharmacists can both make medication errors that can harm patients in a variety of ways. Many of these errors are attributed to fatigue, being rushed during busy hours, and poor communication. However, for a medical malpractice claim, you will need to focus more on the types of Florida medication errors to prove negligence.
Dispensing errors happen when a pharmacy worker places a dose that is too high in the medication bottle, something that may result in severe side effects, adverse reactions, or overdose. Other dispensing errors might be too low and result in little to no treatment of the patient’s ongoing medical condition, resulting in worsening symptoms.
Similar things can happen with transcribing errors when a pharmacy worker miswrites or misinterprets the type of medication and dosage amount. There are a lot of medications out there that sound very similar, some with a few letters difference between them. This can easily lead to transcribing errors when pharmacists are trying to read a doctor’s handwriting on the original prescription order.
Monitoring errors happen when a doctor prescribing the medication fails to follow up with the patient on side effects that have been bothering the patient after starting a new medication. Failing to intervene by lowering the dose or trying different medications may be deemed negligence if the patient suffers harm. Talk to a Florida malpractice lawyer if this happened to you.
What Harm Can Florida Medication Errors Cause?
Not everyone realizes how harmful minor medication errors like these can be for patients. Some people experience severe and life-threatening adverse reactions to the wrong dose or wrong medication. Doctors ask about a history of allergies and adverse reactions to medications for a reason, but when the wrong dose of medication is given to the patient, these precautions become meaningless.
Some of the most common Florida medication error harm endured by patients includes allergic reactions, severe side effects, life-threatening reactions, and damage to the body. Different types of harm can come with different types of consequences for patients and their families like financial losses from medical bills for treatment, funeral costs, and other expenses.
Florida Medical Malpractice Attorney
Filing a medical malpractice claim can be daunting to do alone. Call Piedra Law Injury Attorneys at (855) 881-4878 today to speak with a Pompano Beach Medical Malpractice Lawyer for a free consultation. Our legal team of Florida serious injury attorneys can help you seek compensation for funeral costs, pain and suffering, and medical expenses. Our law firm serves clients in Miami, Dade County, Broward County, Hialeah, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, North Miami, Sunrise, Coral Springs, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Doral, Kendall, and Homestead, Florida.