Every year approximately 100,000 people are given the wrong medication from a medical professional. Being given the wrong medication can lead to other medical problems and complications simply as a result of negligence. Patients are being given the wrong medication and wrong dosage in every medical profession setting, including hospitals, nursing homes, in home care, and pharmacies.
There are many accidents and mistakes that can happen in medication delivery. Wrong medication can take the form of incorrect prescriptions, improper dosage, medication given to one patient when it should have been given to another, and patients taking medicine that has adverse reactions to other medicines and preexisting conditions the patient may have. These accidents can cause serious medical problems and injury.
In the medical profession there are certain rules that nurses and doctors are supposed to follow in drug administration. They include seeing that the right medication is given, to the right person, in the right dosage, through the right route, at the right time. This is commonly referred as the “5 R’s”. Taking these precautionary steps, the doctors and nurses can ensure that the medication is delivered properly and safely. However, if these standards of care are not adhered to then the medical professional can be held liable for damages, harms, and losses caused by the medical malpractice.
There are steps you can take to protect yourself from medical mistakes involving medication. First you should always ask the name of the drug, and correct dosage, so that you can double check that against what the pharmacist or nurse is administering to you. Take care that you know when and how the drug should be taken, and make your doctor aware of any current conditions or medications you are taking.
When receiving treatment and medication you should never worry that you are asking too many questions as it is your health that is on the line. If you are unsure about a detail of your treatment, clarify it before proceeding. As always, staying informed is staying safe.
Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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