Prescription medication is at the forefront of modern medicinal care. When people catch a contagious illness or need to prevent one, it falls upon a medical provider to diagnose the issue and select the right prescription. When carefulness and deliberateness are used at each step in this process, some of the worst diseases can be alleviated thanks to advanced medicine. On the other hand, if neglect occurs at any point, then the result can be disastrous for the patient.
Types of Prescription Errors
As unthinkable as it might be, prescription errors happen around the calendar in our country. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates medication errors cause more than 7,000 deaths a year. Some occur when a patient is given the wrong dosage, or even the wrong drug. Others happen due to overlooked patient allergies, or when they are provided a hazardous combination of medications to use together. There are even cases when a prescription error occurs because a pharmacist cannot read a medical provider’s handwriting, or passes the prescription to the wrong person in line.
Have Prescription Errors Caused the Opioid Epidemic?
In recent years, medication errors have been under the spotlight as the opioid epidemic continues to worsen. Dozens of Americans each day are losing their lives due to opioid addiction side effects and overdoses. Some believe the blame must fall upon medical providers, at least in part.
In the early years of opioid’s popularity, medical providers were assured by pharmaceutical companies that opiates were not dangerous and not addictive. The statements would later be proven untrue through ample research and reports. Liability could be put on a medical provider if they continued to prescribe opioids after learning of their addictive properties, especially if prescribed to a patient with known issues with addiction.
Charleston Prescription Error & Defective Drug Attorneys
After being hurt by a defective drug, or falling ill due to being prescribed the wrong medication, you deserve compensation for your damages and undue pain and suffering. Berthold Law Firm, PLLC and our Charleston personal injury lawyers are here to help you file your claim against the appropriate parties. Whether your case can be resolved out-of-court in a settlement or needs to go before a judge for litigation, you can depend on us to be there for you.
Do not hesitate to contact our experience team of attorneys to schedule an appointment.