How Do I Prove that a Healthcare Professional Was Negligent in Administering Medication?
Medication errors are a widespread issue in the healthcare system, impacting thousands of people each year. Proving that a medical practitioner failed to take proper care in administering a medication can be complex. Generally, medical records, witness testimony, and expert testimony are utilized to prove that a prescription error occurred. In this blog, our Greenville medication error attorneys discuss types of medication errors and how you can recoup any losses to help make you whole again.
Types of Medication Errors in Greenville, SC
A medication error occurs anytime there is a mistake in prescribing, dispensing, or administering a medication. Common medication errors include:
- Incorrect medication: The wrong medication may be prescribed, or a pharmacist may misread the prescription (the stereotype that physicians have poor handwriting exists for a reason!).
- Pharmacy incorrectly fills a prescription: A pharmacist may place the wrong pills in a bottle with a correct prescription label, or a staff member may mix up prescriptions between customers.
- Wrong dosage: An incorrect dosage is either prescribed or dispensed by a pharmacist, resulting in serious health complications. If an overdose occurs, this could cause difficulty breathing, heart failure, and organ damage.
- Failure to administer: A patient fails to get a medication that is needed to save their life.
- Contraindications are missed: A practitioner or pharmacist fails to account for dangerous interactions between medications.
Establishing Liability in Administering a Medication
Recent data shows that the state has endured its fair share of medical malpractice. In 2024, 335 medical malpractice claims were filed in South Carolina, resulting in more than $47 million in payouts. Establishing the negligence of a medical professional is important not in just recouping your own losses, but to prevent others from enduring the same harm.
Establishing a healthcare professional acted negligently in administering a medication often requires the following types of evidence:
Medical Records
A patient’s medical chart will include their clinical history, past and current medication list, allergies, imaging and laboratory tests, and diagnoses. If a wrong medication or wrong dosage was administered, the breakdown in the communication will likely be seen when combing through these records.
Witness Testimony
A nurse, medical assistant, or other staff member may have been in the room and witnessed the physician administer the wrong medication or incorrect dosage. Although obtaining first-hand testimony can be invaluable, staff members are often unwilling to testify for fear of facing disciplinary action or retaliation.
Expert Testimony
At Parham Smith & Archenhold LLC, we work closely with a network of physicians with specialized knowledge and years of experience in an array of specialties. Although an expert witness typically did not witness the incident, the individual can provide insight into the complications behind the medication error. Our expert witnesses have experience simplifying complicated medical concepts so that a jury can easily understand what happened. Gaining this perspective can be what you need to secure the award you deserve.
Medication Mix Up? Speak with Our Greenville Medication Error Lawyers Today
A medication error can result in serious complications, forever altering the course of your life. If you have been given the wrong medication, incorrect dosage, or medication that caused adverse side effects, our Greenville medication error attorneys would like to help. For nearly four decades, our legal team has been helping the residents of Greenville and the surrounding areas reclaim what is rightfully due to them. To arrange a free consultation to discuss your case, contact us online or give us a call today.