If you have received a prescription from a doctor, you expect the medication to make you feel better. If you have been given the appropriate medication for your treatment, then this is most likely what will happen.
Unfortunately, there are some occasions when patients do not receive the treatment that they need. This can happen for several reasons. Outlined below are some of the more common types of medication errors.
Receiving the wrong prescription
The first step toward receiving the appropriate medication for your condition is getting the right prescription from the doctor. This can only happen if an accurate diagnosis of your condition has been made, and the doctor appropriately identifies the right medication.
This is something that doctors usually get right, but that isn’t always the case. It’s possible that a doctor made the wrong diagnosis and you left with a prescription for medication that cannot help you. Not only that, but the wrong medication could even make your condition worse.
Receiving the wrong drugs
Your doctor may have taken every appropriate step, including writing the correct prescription. Nonetheless, it is likely that a pharmacist will be responsible for preparing the drugs you need and ensuring that they are handed over. If a pharmacist identifies the wrong drug and doesn’t read the prescription carefully, there’s a chance that you could end up leaving with the wrong drug or wrong dosage. Again, this has the potential to worsen your condition.
Medication errors can stem from doctors, pharmacists, administrators and other medical staff. Professionals involved in medicine owe you a duty of care. If they have breached this duty, it’s crucial to look into your legal options as you may be entitled to financial compensation.