Medication Errors

Colorado Attorney William P. Godsman

Medication & Prescription Drug Errors

When patients are given the wrong dose or type of medication, it can have harmful effects on their health – often  leading to long-term health complications and sometimes even death.  According to a 2006 report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM), at least 1.5 million medication errors occur in the United States each year.  In addition to the harm caused to patients, medication errors cost our country several billion dollars every year.  The IOM report determined that most medication errors are preventable if healthcare providers use proper techniques to reduce errors.  If you or a loved one has suffered serious long-term effects from a medication error you believe may have been caused by medical negligence, it is important to contact a qualified Colorado medical malpractice attorney to review your case. 

Medication errors can occur in a variety of healthcare settings including hospitals, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, nursing homes, home health care, and urgent care centers.  These errors can occur at any point from the time medications are prescribed to when they are administered to patients.  Doctors, nurses, pharmacies, hospital staff, and anesthesiologists are some of the many healthcare providers whose negligence can result in medication errors. 

Common prescription and medication errors include:

• Prescribing, dispensing, or administering the wrong medication
• Prescribing, dispensing, or administering the wrong dosage
• Failing to check for contraindications (situations in which a drug should not be used) such as existing medical conditions, known drug allergies, or adverse reactions with other medications the patient is already taking
• Medication administered at the wrong time or through the wrong route
• Inappropriately prescribing medication for off-label (unapproved) therapies
• Failing to monitor the patient to see if the medication is helping or causing adverse reactions
• Inappropriately prescribing pain patches, for example Fentanyl patches, in patients who are not tolerant to opioids.

Medication errors can have devastating life-long effects on patients.  Two of the most common injuries from this type of error are internal bleeding and kidney damage.  Patients also frequently suffer serious health consequences such as strokes, heart attacks, allergic reactions, brain damage, liver damage, and digestive problems when medications are prescribed or administered in error.  In some tragic instances, medication errors lead to the wrongful death of a patient.  Following a serious or deadly medication error, it is best to speak with a knowledgeable Colorado medical malpractice lawyer about your legal rights and options.

Free Consultation
If you are concerned that you have suffered an unneccessary injury or impairment due to medical negligence, contact Denver medical malpractice attorney William P. Godsman today. He can provide a free case consultation and discuss with you your legal options for recovery. Call (303) 455-6900.

Related Medical Malpractice Information

• General Medical Malpractice Information
• Birth Injuries
• Defective Medical Devices
• Failure to Diagnose
• Nursing Errors
• Medical Negligence Wrongful Death