Last Updated on September 23, 2019 by Michelle Wan
When I think about this question, “I say, how could this even happen?” It is the medical personnel’s job to know what dose and what medication to give. A pharmacist or nurse should be checking this; I trust them to script out and give medication properly. Sadly, this error is happening more than I realized.
Sometimes the doctor doesn’t recognize that the daily dose exceeds the maximum daily dose; he/she is allowed to enter a high dose in the computer system; the pharmacist overrides the computerized system alert; the nurse doesn’t question the doctor and the dose, knowing it doesn’t look right; and, then the medication is given to the wrong patient. These are just a few examples of what can potentially go wrong in the hospital.
Just know you or your family member have rights when a wrongdoing has occurred. We expect our providers to take the necessary precautions to ensure proper medications are dosed and given correctly. In several cases this has caused the patient to die or has caused significant health problems. When this system fails, this is medical negligence.
What do you need to do to prove medication error? Each case is different, you’ll need to prove that the health care professional failed with the level of care. It’s always important to keep the wrong medication if you have it in your possession. You’ll need to establish proof that a sub-standard level of care was the cause of your harm. We work to get your medical records and have an experienced expert review the case files.
If you or a loved one suffered a loss due to failure to give the proper medication or given too much medication that caused you severe health problems, please contact our office. We can help. Please call Thomas & Wan, LLP at 713-529-1177 and we can answer any questions you may have.
