Attorney Scott Distasio explains how medication errors can occur and what you can do if you or a loved one has been affected by such an error.
Some Information About Hospital Medication Errors
Some government statistics suggest that as many as 1 in 5 doses of medicine given in US Hospitals involve medication errors. That means that if you are admitted to the hospital, the chances are overwhelming that you will be given either the wrong medicine, the wrong dose of medicine, or the medicine will be given to you the wrong number of times per day. Hospital medication mistakes happen because the doctor makes a prescribing error, the hospital pharmacy makes a dispensing error, or the nurses make an administration error.
Of course, not every medication error results in injury, but you should not take any chances. If you are in the hospital you should know the medications you are getting, the dose you are getting and the number of times a day you are supposed to receive it. To protect yourself, ask the nurse each time you get medication, to confirm the dose, amount and frequency. If you are not able to do so yourself, try to assign a family member or friend to do this for you.