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Laguna Hills Prescription Drug Errors Lawyer
Medication prescription and dispensing errors can have deadly effects on a patient. While prescription drug errors may affect anyone, they are most likely to affect young patients and elderly patients, since they often have unstable health conditions and immune systems and are most vulnerable to medication errors.
The intimidating thing about prescription drug errors is that in many cases, the errors go undetected and unreported. In these cases, the error has little-to-no effect on the patient, and the adverse effect of the prescription error wears off. However, in more serious cases, the error has catastrophic effects on the patient. In these situations, it is always best that the person affected contact an experienced Laguna Hills prescription drug errors lawyer as soon as possible. A knowledgeable medical malpractice attorney will be able to gather all necessary evidence and build a case to help maximize any potential damages.
Common Types of Drug Errors
The most common types of prescription drugs errors are dispensing or prescribing the incorrect drug to treat an illness, prescribing medication to a patient that may be allergic to it, prescribing a combination of drugs to a patient which brings about adverse side effects, or including wrong instructions with a drug prescription.
The main reason for prescription drug errors is negligence or carelessness on the part of a health care provider, such as a doctor, pharmacist, or medical facility. Common causes for these errors include illegible handwriting by doctors, poor communication among doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other involved healthcare providers, and failing to thoroughly read and comprehend doctor reports, patient medical records, and patient medical histories.
What Must a Health Care Provider Do if They Commit an Error?
Whenever a health care provider realizes that a prescription drug error has occurred, that healthcare provider must immediately notify the patient or the patient’s family about the nature and extent of the error, along with any potential side effects the error could have on the patient. Sometimes, health care providers try to cover up their medication error by administering corrective drugs, which does not always work. A Laguna Hills prescription drug errors attorney can help any individual in such a situation recover any possible damages.
Proving Negligence for a Drug Error
In order to prove negligence in prescription drug error cases, the injured patient must ordinarily show that the doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider failed to act within the applicable standard of care. In this context, breach of the standard of care means a failure to provide the necessary skill, knowledge, and care that a reasonably prudent, competent healthcare provider would have provided under the same or similar circumstances.
Where Can Someone Learn the Standards of Care?
Specifics regarding the standards of care that are applicable to specialists, pharmacists, nurses, hospitals, healthcare providers, and healthcare facilities can be found in the California civil jury instructions. Once a breach of the standard of care has been established, the injured patient must then prove that the breach resulted in injuries and damages. This is usually accomplished at trial through the testimony of other healthcare providers and experts.
Contact a Laguna Hills Prescription Drug Errors Attorney
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured as a result of a prescription drug error made by a healthcare provider or facility, it is essential that you have experienced legal representation in your corner every step of the way. This will enable you to maximize the value of your case.
A Laguna Hills prescription drug errors lawyer can thoroughly review all of the pertinent medical records and make a determination about whether a prescription drug error was made, and if a cause of action exists. Call us now to learn more.