Wrong Medication And Detrimental Consequences

When you get treatment at the doctor’s office or a hospital, you expect to receive the right care. Unfortunately, mistakes happen sometimes. Getting the wrong medication can have detrimental consequences. You may have the option of filing a lawsuit to help recover any costs for recovery or to compensate you for pain and suffering. The challenge is knowing whom you should sue. In these situations, you have a few options.

The Nurse

Medical staff members who treat you should have the expertise, training, and skills to meet your needs. Incompetence, lack of attention or even blatant negligence could lead to errors in giving medication. The nurse who administers the drugs, whether through an injection, intravenously or orally, may be at fault. The nurse may have read the order incorrectly or made an error in judgment. If you can prove the nurse made the blunder, you may have a case for a lawsuit.

The Doctor

On the other hand, a physician treating you may be the one to blame if you got the wrong medication and suffered adverse effects. The nurse may simply have been following directions. It could have been the doctor who made an incorrect diagnosis or didn’t order the correct drug. The doctor may have failed to write down in chart drugs you were allergic to or, the doctor may not be qualified to be treating your specific condition.

Drug Manufacturer

In another scenario, you may be able to sue the drug company if you believe the drug was faulty or improperly manufactured. This would require testing of the drug and investigating the company. It is possible that if you got the wrong medication the doctor and nurse knew nothing about the error. Plus, if you were on the wrong end of this tainted drug, there’s a good chance other people had the same experience.

Pharmacist

If your doctor prescribes medication to control a condition, kill an infection or reduce your pain, another player enters the picture that you need to trust. The pharmacist reads the order and fills the prescription for you. However, if the pharmacist gives you the wrong dosage or the wrong drug altogether, your health will be at risk. The pharmacist may not have been paying attention and  perhaps was sloppy in his or her work. 

If you got the wrong medication and fell ill because of it, make sure you hire a medical malpractice lawyer. This professional can advise you on what steps to take and whom to sue.