Over 770,000 medication mistakes occur every year, contributing to approximately 7,000 deaths in the United States. And when it comes to medications, some mistakes are deadlier than others.
Medication mistakes can happen anywhere: as an in-patient at a hospital or from simply misreading illegible handwriting, resulting in administering 100 times the dose of a medication you are supposed to receive. Medication mistakes can happen at a pharmacy when two similarly-abbreviated medications are given to you, the unknowing patient. Or, medication mistakes can happen when you take multiple medications without understanding how they may interact with each other. Whatever the cause, it is important to know what to do if you've been given the wrong drug or the wrong dose.
Dos and Don'ts if you've been the victim of a medication mistake:
- Do SAVE THE BOTTLES! You will need all of the evidence of the error to evaluate your potential claims. Save the pills, the bottle, the bag and any instructions that accompanied the prescription.
- Do seek out an attorney to evaluate your potential claims.
- Do notify your physician and seek immediate medical attention.
- Don't attempt to treat yourself.
- Do prepare a list of all of the medications you have been prescribed and any over-the-counter medications you are taking.
Have you been given the wrong drug or the wrong dose of a drug? What advice or tips would you give someone, who has been the victim of a medication mistake? Please leave your comments below or Contact Me at 844-RX-ERROR.