In the United States, patients place extraordinary trust in doctors, pharmacists, and other medical professionals. We trust these individuals to prescribe appropriate medications and recommend treatments based on their training and experience. Yet mistakes happen with shocking regularity. Approximately 1.3 million Americans experience medication-related harm each year. As patients, it’s important not only to understand how medication errors occur but also to be proactive in preventing them in the future. Attorney Matthew Breen, our dedicated medication error attorney, shares his preventive strategies to keep you and your loved ones safe.
Our Medication Error Attorney Explains Medication Errors and Negligence
A medication error attorney may use the term “medication error” or “medication negligence” to describe a wide variety of mistakes. Some of these mistakes could include:
- Giving you a medication that had not been prescribed to you
- Giving you the wrong dosage of medication
- Not checking for potential negative interactions between medications
- Filling a prescription with a different medication
- Not explaining how to properly take the medication or what side effects to look for
Both doctors and pharmacists play a vital role in ensuring patients are prescribed appropriate medications and receive them. Unfortunately, both doctors and pharmacists are human and can make mistakes. Some errors may be unavoidable, but others may be due to:
- Not reading a patient’s chart or medical history correctly
- Reading labels too fast before filling a prescription
- Keeping poor notes or making illegible notes that cannot be deciphered
- Confusing similar-sounding medications
Medication errors that happen because of any of these or similar reasons may support a claim with a medication error attorney for compensation against the negligent doctor or pharmacist.
Preventive Patient Strategies From a Medication Error Attorney
Medication-related harm is widespread and often preventable. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 1 in every 30 patients receiving healthcare experiences medication-related harm, and over 25% of those events are rated severe or life-threatening. Additionally, the global cost of medication errors is estimated at around US $42 billion annually. These numbers show that patients must play an active role in reducing risk. Below is a structured approach you can use.
1. Know Your Medications
- Before leaving any appointment, clarify the name of the drug, the dose, and the drug regimen.
- Write down the names, dosages, and purposes (or get a printed list) so that you can review them later.
- Confirm the purpose of each medication and ask your provider to explain any that you don’t understand.
- If you leave an appointment not fully clear, bring a trusted family member or friend with you to help gather the necessary information.
2. Share Your Full Medication and Supplement List
- Ensure both your prescribing clinician and your pharmacist know all the medications you are taking, including prescription, over-the-counter (OTC), and supplements.
- Bring this list with you to every appointment and whenever you visit a new provider or pharmacy.
- Be aware: even OTC medications or supplements can interact negatively with prescriptions. Failure to disclose them significantly increases risk.
3. Verify Your Prescription at the Pharmacy
- When your prescription is filled, check the label before leaving the pharmacy: Does the medicine name and dosage match what you expected?
- If it’s a refill, does the physical appearance (pill size/shape/color) resemble what you’ve taken previously?
- If anything seems unfamiliar, ask if the drug is exactly what you were prescribed.
- If you suspect a mistake, ask the pharmacist to review it immediately.
4. Raise Questions Without Delay
- If you have any concerns about your medication, contact your pharmacist and/or prescriber immediately.
- Do not assume it “must be correct” just because the pharmacy dispensed it. Dispensing and administration errors can still occur.
- Awareness and timely questioning before taking a suspect drug can prevent serious harm.
5. Monitor and Update Consistently
- Regularly review your medications: Are there new prescriptions? Has any been discontinued? Has your health status changed (e.g., kidney or liver function, age, or weight) that might affect dosing?
- Inform your healthcare team of any changes (e.g., newly started supplements, changed diet, new hospital stay).
- Recognize that error risk increases with multiple medications: patients taking five or more drugs are at higher risk of errors.
No matter how diligent a patient may be, the ultimate responsibility for preventing medication errors rests with healthcare providers, and when they fail, patients have the right to seek accountability through experienced legal representation.
Lowcountry Law, LLC’s Medication Error Attorney Can Help
If you or a loved one has been hurt in this way, attorney Matthew Breen with Lowcountry Law, LLC, would be proud to represent you. You may be eligible to pursue a claim for damages. Contact Lowcountry Law, LLC, today for a free, no-obligation case consultation.
