As Colorado residents may know, medication errors may result in serious consequences when a mistake is made in either the prescription or lack of information concerning interactions. Patients who take medication may protect themselves by becoming familiar with the medicines they are taking.
Medication errors may occur from various sources including the pharmacy, physician or hospital employees. Errors may result from poor communication, difficulties reading prescriptions or because the medications have sound-alike names. Problems may occur when an individual is taking more than one medicine containing the same ingredient. For example, acetaminophen may be bought as an over-the-counter drug, and it is an ingredient in some prescription medications.
Another important way that individuals may be proactive in their own care is to be open with a health care provider on information such as drug allergies, health care supplements, herbs or other items that may interfere with medications. It is recommended that individuals keep a list of current medications they are taking, including herbs and non-prescription medicines. Buying prescription medicines from the same pharmacy each time may be advantageous. When receiving a new prescription, it may be a good idea to check the label to ensure that it is correct.
The effects of medication errors may lead to serious side effects or injury that may require medical care and cause lost time at work. On occasion, interactions from certain medications may cause serious health issues.
An individual who has experienced prescription medication error due to receiving the wrong medicine from a physician or pharmacist may wish to discuss the situation with an attorney. The attorney may be able to review the medication error with expert opinion and determine if negligence was involved. The attorney may then be able to file a malpractice suit against the physician or pharmacist.