4 Important Facts about Medication Errors
Oct. 21, 2020
Medication errors happen all too often, causing real harm to many. Understanding just how and where these errors happen – and what your options are for justice after these errors occur, however, can be crucial to protecting yourself and your loved ones.
So, below, are some of the more important facts to know about the prevalence of medication errors in the U.S.
Medication Errors & Medical Malpractice: What Patients Should Know
These facts about medication errors in the U.S. reveal how often these mistakes cause real, serious harm, a Denver personal injury attorney explains. Prescription drug errors cause about 1.5 million injuries and/or deaths each year in the U.S. – In fact, some estimates have put the deaths caused by adverse drug events to be more than those caused by traffic accidents, HIV or breast cancer. What may be more shocking than this is the fact that about 1 in every 3 prescription drug errors in the U.S. results from some type of human error – usually an error made in determining the appropriate drug or dosage for patients.
About 1.2 million of these medication errors occur in hospitals or long-term care facilities – While about 400,000 medication-related injuries take place in U.S. hospitals each year, in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, about 800,000 medication error-related injuries occur annually. Failing to account for patients’ allergies or medical histories, as well as overdosing patients, are just a few ways medication errors can occur at these medical facilities.
The FDA & others are taking action to try to prevent medication errors – This is the good news to the grim statistics presented above, as regulators and safety advocates are taking action to try to enhance the protections for patients and prevent them from being harmed by preventable medication errors and medical negligence. In fact, the FDA has published a Guidance document for drug makers and medical professionals, discussing how to design drug packaging and develop systematic approaches in health care facilities for preventing medication errors.
When medication errors happen, injured people may have a medical malpractice claim – This too is good news for patients, as they have options for holding negligent medical professionals accountable when they make mistakes that cause medication errors and harm to patients.
Contact a Denver Personal Injury Attorney at the Law Office of James H. Guest, LLC
If you or a loved one has been harmed by medication errors or any form of medical negligence, contact a Denver personal injury attorney at the Law Office of James H. Guest, LLC for help with your financial recovery. Known for providing comprehensive legal representation to the victims of negligence, our attorneys are dedicated to helping our clients recover fair compensation for their medical bills, lost wages and other expenses.
Contact us by calling or by emailing us via the contact form on this page. We offer free initial consultations, and there is no fee for our services if there is no recovery in your case.