Pharmaceutical Malpractice: Kingston, New York Medical Malpractice Attorney Explains

• A patient has been given the medication meant for another patient
• The patient is given the wrong dosage of the medication
• The incorrect instruction pamphlet is given with the medication or the incorrect instruction information is given
• The wrong medication that had a similar name as the prescribed medication was given to the patient
• The doctor’s handwriting on the prescription paper was misread by the pharmacist and prescribed the patient the incorrect medication
• The prescription drug was not compounded correctly by the pharmacy

If a patient is given the wrong medication from a pharmacy or drug store but has not taken the medication before catching the mistake, the patient should call the pharmacy and tell them about the mistake and pick up the correct prescription.  If the patient does not catch the mistake prior to taking the drug, the patient should contact their doctor or pharmacist immediately so that the they can be notified and the patient can find out about any side effects they should be watching for and for how long they should be watching for them.  If the patient experiences any reaction after taking the wrong medication, they should seek out medical attention immediately.

Oftentimes patients will not know they are taking the wrong medication until adverse side effects have presented themselves and their hospital or doctor then informs them of the problem.  It is often necessary for the patient to make a trip to the emergency room and have an in-patient stay if the mistake is severe enough.  In some cases the patient may die from the medication error.

Medication errors should always be taken seriously, especially if a health condition results from the mistake.  When the wrong dosage of a medication is administered, the wrong instructions are given, or the pharmacy or drug store gives the wrong medication to a patient, pharmacy is liable for negligence if adverse reactions or death occurs because of the error.  If you or a loved one has been injured or has died as the result of a medication error, contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible.

But what do you think?  I would love to hear from you!  Leave a comment or I also welcome your phone call on my toll-free cell at 1-866-889-6882 or you can drop me an e-mail at jfisher@fishermalpracticelaw.com.  You are always welcome to request my FREE book, The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims, at the home page of my website at www.protectingpatientrights.com.