Right drug, wrong dosage: Common injuries due to medication errors

Patients go to medical professionals for their health care concerns, expecting to receive the treatment they need, including acquiring appropriate drug prescriptions. Accordingly, as part of the medical standard of care, doctors should prescribe not only the right medication but also the correct dosage. Otherwise, it can lead to serious and irreversible medical complications.

Overdose: Ingesting too much

Depending on the type of drug, ingesting too much of the prescribed medicine can result in moderate side effects, like breathing problems, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea to severe medical complications, such as stroke, brain damage, heart failure or organ damage.

Underdose: Taking too little

If a doctor prescribes an insufficient dosage of a medicine, it can aggravate the patient’s initial medical concern instead of effectively treating it. Moreover, it can lead to severe medical consequences for certain patients. For instance, administering an insufficient dosage of antibiotics to patients with sepsis can lead to complications since the dosage is not enough to fight off the infection.

An injured patient’s action

Doctors can avoid both types of prescription errors by carefully considering adverse drug reactions, the patient’s medical history and other patient factors. Any prescription error that leads to a patient’s injury can be a cause for filing a medical malpractice lawsuit against the medical practitioner.

While not a guarantee, an action against a negligent doctor is a way for a patient to obtain compensation for their injury and non-economic damages caused by the injury, such as pain and suffering. Carefully reviewing the case circumstances, evaluating the legal options and solidifying the patient’s malpractice claim can help maximize the possible compensation of their case.