What Is a Common Medication Error?

As patients, we trust healthcare professionals with what is most important to us: our health and the health of our families. When trust gets violated, even if by an accident, the consequences can be devastating. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the most common medical error is medication error. The FDA estimates medication error results in at least one death per day and 1.3 million injured patients per year.

Medication errors can be such things as the wrong drug, wrong dose, wrong time, wrong scheduling, and wrong patient. Those who commit medication error can be physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and anyone else involved in the prescribing, administration, or providing of medication. In some cases, a wrong medication can result in permanent injury and even death. In 2014, an Oregon woman died when she received the wrong IV medication. In this case, the proper drug was prescribed by the physician and the pharmacist provided what they thought was the right medication. The fatal mistake was that someone had mislabeled the IV bag.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to a medication error, it's important to take action. You may want to file a medical malpractice claim against those involved in the mistake. Medical malpractice suits can be long cases, so you'll need proper legal representation. We have won many cases where the damages awarded were high above Nebraska's medical malpractice cap.

If you'd like a free consultation, call our offices at (402) 882-7080 today. Our expert lawyers will be happy to answer any questions you may have.