PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION ERRORS
NAS REPORT
In a study conducted by the National Academy of Sciences it was reported that more than 7,000 Americans die each year from medication errors. These errors include dispensing the wrong medication, as well as prescribing incorrect dosages.
FDA SEEKS REDUCTION IN MEDICATION ERRORS
The FDA announced mandatory rules to reduce the high level of medication errors through the implementation of bar coding on all prescription drugs. As told by the agency "When used with bar code scanners and computerized information, bar code technology can prevent many medication errors including administering the wrong drug, administering a drug to a patient who is known to be allergic, administering the wrong dose, administering the drug at the wrong time or using the wrong route."
See also Medication Error News
In
1999, the U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM) released
a report claiming between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans
die each year because of preventable medical mistakes.
In data collected from Jury Verdict Research, Marsh
Inc., and the Risk Management Foundation, it was found
that the most common cause of
medical malpractice lawsuits
against hospitals are medication errors.
In addition to those reports, the safety of prescription
drugs has been a major healthcare concern since massive
drug recalls have recently been announced. While numerous
reports have been released finding FDA oversight of
prescription drugs to be lacking, most medication errors
result because of the following reasons:
| COMMON MEDICATION ERRORS |
| >
Prescribing the wrong dosage based
upon a patients physical condition or age > Prescribing the wrong medication for the condition being treated > Failing to make inquiry of patients concerning their history of drug allergies > Transcribing the incorrect drug name or an illegible drug name on the pharmacy prescription pad > Prescribing the administration of medication at the wrong time or through the wrong route > Inappropriately prescribing medication for "off-label" or unapproved therapies > Neglecting to medicate a patient consistent with a doctors instructions |
In addition, the use of prescription drugs for
"off-label" uses presents particular
problems in the area of medication errors. Off-label
prescribing has become a common practice, as physicians
frequently feel that they are allowing patients to benefit
from drugs that were not initially approved for certain
uses, Despite such intentions however, 70 percent of
all drugs still do not come with pediatric safety guidelines.
While commonly prescribed medications for children,
such as antibiotics, asthma drugs and analgesics have
been well studied in adults, the majority of drugs prescribed
to children are off-label, creating a guessing game
when it comes to determining proper dosing. With children,
doctors tend to scale back dosing and frequency but neglect
the significance of their differing metabolic rates.
Because of this fact, children can be prescribed too
little or too much of a medication with devastating
results. The room for prescription error therefore,
is significant.
Have you been injured by a medication error?
|
If you or a loved one has suffered
a serious adverse event you believe was caused by a
medication error, you may wish to contact our qualified
attorneys at Oshman & Mirisola to learn more
about your legal rights and options. You may be able to seek compensation for
your medical expenses and more. We will evaluate your case FREE OF CHARGE
to determine the best way to pursue your claim while protecting and maximizing
your legal interests. Please
contact us and ask
for Partner Ted Oshman. |
Additional Resources
Medical Malpractice Glossary
| Medical Malpractice News