Northern California Pharmaceutical Errors Lawyers
Pharmaceutical Errors
Every time a nursing home resident takes a medication, they place trust in the doctor who prescribed the medication, the pharmacist who filled the prescription and the nurse who administered it. All of these parties, the doctor, pharmacist and nurse, are responsible for the residents well being and may be liable if an adverse reaction to a medication is experienced by the resident. Taking the wrong medication or dose can result in serious injuries or even wrongful death for the nursing home resident or hospital patient. The northern California nursing home neglect lawyers at Estey Bomberger have helped numerous parties of nursing home neglect due to pharmaceutical error. If a loved one has suffered adverse side effects or death from a pharmaceutical error, contact us to discuss your case. You may be entitled to compensation from the doctor, pharmacist or nursing home employee who is responsible for negligently harming your loved one.
Types of Pharmaceutical Errors
Common nursing home pharmaceutical errors include:
Medication side effects
A doctor and pharmacist should educate the patient on medications’ adverse side effects and if there are other drugs, foods or activities to avoid while taking the medication. The nursing home staff must carefully monitor residents for any adverse reactions to new medications, including serious side effects such as heart attacks, strokes, allergic reactions, kidney failure and psychological effects.
Incorrect medication dosage
In a nursing home facility, staff deliver medicine on a cart filled with numerous, similar looking pills grouped together, making it relatively easy for the wrong dosage to be administered to the resident. Serious injury can be inflicted on a resident that has been over or under medicated.
Incorrect labeling
Each bottle of medication prescribed should have a label that states the drug it contains, the correct dosage and time of day it should be taken, and any food, beverages or activities that should be avoided while taking the medication. Pharmacists and hospitals are responsible for dispensing medication with the correct label.
Administering the incorrect prescription
Miscommunication or misunderstanding of medication orders by doctors, pharmacists and nursing home staff can be caused by the slightest error. For example, a doctor’s poor handwriting may cause the wrong drug to be filled and administered. Another common error happens when a doctor views an incomplete medical chart and prescribes a drug that may interfere with the patient’s current medication. Nursing home staffs have a duty to double-check every medication before administering it to their patients.
Medication interactions or complications
A medication's interaction with other drugs, food and beverages are not always known and can have unexpected, severe side effects. Adverse drug reactions are the fourth leading cause of deaths in the U.S. Doctors and pharmacists are responsible for knowing how medications interact with one another, but because of neglect or carelessness may not prescribe or dispense the correct drug.
Northern California Pharmaceutical Error Liability
Healthcare providers, including include hospitals, pharmacists, doctors and nurses, have a duty to look after the care and safety of their patients. Any provider that fails to carefully monitor the medication being administered may be liable for the patient’s injuries or wrongful death. If you or a family member has been seriously injured, or you have lost a loved one because of a pharmaceutical error, you may have grounds for a personal injury claim and entitled to compensation for medical bills, funeral expenses, loss of companionship, and pain and suffering. Call the elder abuse and neglect law firm of Estey Bomberger at (800) 890-6722. One of our knowledgeable northern California nursing home abuse attorneys will answer any questions you have in regards to your pharmaceutical error case, 24 hours a day.